


The Valley

by A_bean_in_space



Category: Dungeons & Dragons (Roleplaying Game)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Dungeons & Dragons Campaign, Maybe a Little Blood/Gore Sometimes, Original Character(s), Play-by-Post Made In To a Story, RPG, on going
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-18
Updated: 2021-02-26
Packaged: 2021-03-15 23:41:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 22,307
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28821675
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/A_bean_in_space/pseuds/A_bean_in_space
Summary: This is a play-by-post, D&D game sorted and semi rewritten to be a readable story. I don't own the story, world or the characters (except Eldrin). All rights go to the owners.Co written with Abio
Kudos: 5





	1. Recruitment

**Author's Note:**

> This is a play-by-post, D&D game sorted and semi rewritten to be a readable story. I don't own the story, world or the characters (except Eldrin). All rights go to the owners.
> 
> Co written with Abio

Long, long ago there was a valley far, far away. And in this valley lies all that anyone ever needed: Clean rivers, fertile farms, thick forests and plenty of animals for hunting and breeding. To the south and west is the grassland that slowly gives way to rocky terrain and desert; to the North lie the Ice Peaks, a chain of mountains with little in the way of navigable passes. To the East lies the Winding Wood, an ocean of emerald clad trees bursting with life that fills the horizon.

An ancient place, that forest. It is filled with wooden giants, behemoth trees the size of houses. And just like houses, they creak like an old wooden floor when the wind blows. All manner of animals, spirits and monsters live within the Woods. What’s more, many valley folk claim to have met "forest guardians," mischievous little fairies who delight in misdirecting those who venture in. Those who have tried exploring the Woods’ depths are eventually found on the outskirts a few days later, with only the vaguest of memories of what happened.

There’s more to the valley than monsters and fairies, of course. Most of it, in fact, is a peaceful and ordinary place devoted to agriculture. The men and women are skilled in all manner of wood and metalworking, and can survive just fine even without large structures or skilled architects. Overall, between eight and ten thousand folks live in the area, though nobody has ever bothered counting them out. Almost half of them live in Vale’s Respite, the town at the center of the valley, nestled on the shores of the valley’s river; the rest is scattered across the five villages dotting the countryside. The town also hosts the Council of Matrons, the 13 eldest women who are still of sound mind. They do not always take a hand in day-to-day matters, of course, but their rule is absolute and unquestioned when they step in.

* * * * * * * * * *

The air is pleasantly warm around the Hall of Wizardry, as Eldrin Everthorn steps out of the wooden, rune-covered gates. The sky is clear and only tarnished by a few, snow-white clouds that drift lazily in the late-summer breeze. Not that he could see it himself. The tall Elf wears an orange sash over his eyes, a courtesy to those who may be intimidated by his blind eyes. He absent-mindedly adjusts his spiky, straw-blond hair as it gets caught in the wind. His familiar, a small, pink and red snake, curls around his neck and stretches lazily, clearly enjoying the warm weather much more than its owner.

Although there are only a few hundred elves in the valley, most of them occupy positions of wealth and leadership. It is only natural, since they live longer than most. But even among them, Eldrin is an exception: even though most elves develop a keen mind and a reputation for wisdom over their century-spanning lives, not many of them share the gift of true wizardry. In fact, he is one of only three to have mastered First Level Wizardry, an achievement which may sound enviable, until one considers that he must spend most of his time studying in the Hall. In fact, he has just completed his studies for the day. His snake, Soli, is helping him home, pointing its scaly head now right, now left, as its owner strolls down the city streets. Suddenly, Soli looks up. As Eldrin stops at the corner of the marketplace, the sound of beating wings announces the arrival of a large bird. Judging by the clinking of metal rings that accompanies the bird’s landing, it must be a herald, one of the city guards..

"You are called to present yourself before the Matrons,” caws the bird. Its voice is deep and powerful, befitting both its authority and the breadth of its feathered chest. Yet, it speaks with a good deal of respect, perhaps a bit of deference even. Eldrin does not need Soli’s help to recognize the bird. Teral’s voice is, and has always been, quite distinctive among the winged folks. How strange that the Matrons should call upon anyone. And that they would send one of the five commanders to deliver the summon? Pretty much unheard of!

“Me?” he asks, not bothering to conceal his surprise. “What could they want with me?”

The bird does not respond and only shakes his head, causing the armor around his neck to tinkle. Either he doesn’t know, thinks Eldrin, or he cannot say. Even though the Elf has known him for some years, they are not quite friends. They are both influential enough to be at the same meetings and parties, but they haven’t exchanged anything more than pleasantries. He can even recall meeting his chicks on a couple of occasions—hard to forget, given how exceptionally nervous they were at the sight of Soli. And yet, he doesn’t even know where Teral’s nest is. In any case, he knows him as a bird of honor: it is unlikely he would intentionally withdraw information, especially from a wizard.

"Very well, then. Lead the way." The Elf smiles politely, stroking Soli’s slender head to indicate the change of plans. Then, both folks head towards the Court of the Capitol.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Demons, they said. He will show them demons! First of all, Tieflings are even more numerous than humans, nowadays. And with the immense population growth of the last generation, how are they supposed to survive if nobody gives them jobs? And how are they supposed to get a clear reputation, if the only meaningful employment they can access is in crime? Whatever. Let the scammers and cutpurses scrawl as they like in the city below. Hyde works for one of the big families, the very first true criminal organizations, and he has, quite literally, a different perspective than everybody else.

As he lands silently atop a roof, the young Tiefling folds his leathery wings around his body and leans against a tall chimney. In the darkness of night, his pitch-black skin and hair make him almost impossible to spot. He had his padded, leathery jacket darkened by a tanner for this very purpose. It may not be very fashionable by day, but given his normal working hours, he considers it almost like a uniform. Did the guards follow him? As Hyde scans the streets below with his white, pupilless eyes, the head of his pet mouse pokes out from the depths of his scarf, almost as if joining his watch. Nobody. Good. The family intermediary handling Hyde’s operations is, obviously, already on the roof. By the time the he notices his presence, his “friend” is already behind him, giving him a hearty pat on the back and handing over a small pouch. Hyde’s pointed ears twitch at the jovial clatter of coins inside.

"Good work out there Hyde."

The next day’s job, however, does not go quite as smoothly. Hyde hasn’t even started his recon around the stooge’s house, when he is confronted—in broad daylight—by a wrinkly old woman. An Elf, he realizes a second too late as she steps into the side alley in which he was hiding. His eyes dart quickly over her bright red cloak, and the simple, brown woolen dress under it. Unarmed, he notices. Never a good sign. The symbol emblazoned over her cloak, an upright clenched fist, is more than enough to spell trouble.

"You are called to present yourself before The Matron's of The Valley.” Announces the woman. She looks at him with a smile, as if challenging him to do anything other than obey.

A shiver climbs up Hyde's back as he bows his head in salutation. He attempts to smile back.

"I'm afraid you've caught me at a bad time, miss.” He answers. “I mean, madam. What could the matrons want with little old me?" Bad choice. Suddenly, Hyde’s arms start going limp, as an invisible grip crawls under his skin. Magic! He hisses lowly under his breath, as he summons his own magic to counter the elf’s. And so, in the blink of an eye, the paralysis is gone. He eyes the old woman unamusingly. Did she really think she could use magic on him? But still, the attempt means she is serious. So, he holds his hands in front of himself, faking a surrender gesture.

“I'm sure this has all been a big misunderstanding,” He says, as he slowly inches backwards. “But see, I'm a busy guy, I'm sure the matrons won't mind if I show up fashionably late, no?"

But before he can spread his wings, he backs up into something as broad and solid as a brick wall. Suddenly, powerful arms wrap around him and crush the breath from his chest.

“SHIT! HEY, WATCH THE WINGS!” He cries out instinctively, as he cranes his neck to see what kind of brick wall has arms. But whatever brute is holding him doesn’t let him wiggle free. A sudden blow to the head is the last thing he feels before falling unconscious.

The next thing he feels is almost as unpleasant. As he wakes up, not only does he find himself being carried upside-down, with hands and feet tied to a long pole. But those transporting him are also Tieflings. He never knew the heralds would employ them. But he has no time to bother. As the goons carry him through the market square, people are laughing and pointing at him. Then, a tomato crashes into his face.

_'Old bastard crones'_ Hyde thinks to himself as he endures the shame. He shakes off the tomato to the face as he wraps his bat-like wings around himself looking like a particularly large cocoon, taking another short nap on the way to the Matrons.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

_Somewhere nearby, an aspiring Bard sits outside taking in the warm sun light, practising with his lute. He inadvertently begins to perform what no-one would recognise as a rough Bardcore rendition of Led Zeppelin's 'Immigrant Song', seemingly at random._

Celine Valkyr strides out of the Valley's northern wilderness into the light. A human female of stern disposition and fierce temper; a face none from the “civilised” settlements have ever seen, and lived to tell of it. The mysterious dark-skinned maiden carries herself like a warrior, chainmail shimmering under the sunlight, round-shield at her side, and a formidable sledgehammer slung across her back. Her tall, muscular build, and the mane of unkempt snow-white hair punctuated with a few small braids make her immediately recognizable as one of the wild inhabitants of the mountains.

But she is more than that: more than a warrior, more than one of the fierce mountain dwellers who rejects the rule of the Matrons. The outsider's other clothes tell a different story: dark blue robes and cloak trimmed with white, a patch over her left eye, and around her neck a silver medallion depicting three converging lightning bolts. She is the Priestess of Talos, God of Storms and Destruction, and has left her land by his will and comes in peace - but to what end, few dare to ask.

As Celine enters Vale's Respite, she sees many fearful and disbelieving faces. Gestures to ward off evil accompany her as she makes her way up the streets. As if she was the dangerous one. But all those folks are too young to remember. The lifespan of humans is so short! That’s the whole point, isn’t it? With too little a chance of ever gaining a significant hold of the council of Matrons, her ancestors relocated to the mountains and attempted to found their own city-state, away from the Matrons’ influence. Until a “wild” fire broke out, killing almost everybody in the settlement. And so, humans were no longer the most populous people in the Valley.

The Matrons were even kind enough to issue a statement the following day: "All who live in The Valley do so at the grace of The Matron's."

But alas, humans are short-lived and quickly forgot about it.

Finally, Celine finds an inn to spend the night. More like a tavern, she thinks, but it will do. A swinging board sign over the entrance reads: “The Singing Hand”.

After crossing the door, she walks quickly to the bar and puts down a few coins in assorted metal alloys. “I would like a room for tonight,” she says.

The innkeeper, a large man with obvious signs of ogre descent, chuckles as he looks her up and down. “Y’know, we don’t get to see your kind round here much.” He says, a cocked tooth grin peeking out from under his black, wiry beard. “How ‘bout I make ya a deal? I’ll give ya free room and board in exchange for sitting in the common room and lettin people come stare at ya. It would be good for business. Whadda say?”

Celine thinks for a moment before scooping back up her money. “Fine.” She waits for the man to hand her some food, then she sits at the back of the establishment and begins eating.

About half way through the meal, she is approached by what looks like a purple-skinned mountain in a shirt: a Tiefling, the largest she’s ever seen in her life. He is tall, even for her standards, and so muscular his biceps might keep him from scratching his nose. He stares at her with a flat look, cracking his neck to the right and left. She pretends not to notice. However, she cannot stop herself from eyeing the clenched-fist tattoo on his right forearm. She never knew heralds to employ Tieflings.

"You are called to present yourself before the Matrons,” growls the man. His deep voice, rumbling as a landfall, matches his bewildering stature.

Finally, she looks up from her meal. "Why do you approach?" she asks in a warning tone, "Is the view not good enough from the bar?"

She instinctively look around for possible exits. The front door is no good: even before entering, she noticed about ten heralds enjoying their lunch in the outside patio. Even as she was eating, some of them cast occasional looks through the front windows and door, probably on the lookout for trouble from within.

The man grunts at her. "Envoys of the Matrons do not repeat their message. Come, or be compelled to do so."

She quickly assesses her chances. The Tiefling is a warrior, most likely her equal based on how he carries himself. He is also looking behind her frequently. He's either a distraction, or a sidekick, in this little engagement. Of course, they would not take her arrival lightly: they would be fools to do so. Committed to avoiding having to fight the whole town out of sheer stubbornness, she complies, but only because her mission requires it. She stands, and stares the large accursed in the eye.

"Typical,” she snarls. ”Your Matrons never could take 'No' for an answer. Luckily for you this food is terrible."

Getting up from her seat, she hears a high-pitched giggle coming from behind her. As she turns around, she notices a minuscule Elf, as short in stature as the accursed is enormous. He carries a small glass bauble in his hands. Not a wizard, but definitely a magic user.

"You are bold, human,” squeals the Elf. “I am glad I took this job!"

Celine snuffs and rolls her eyes, a little insulted. They could have at least sent a few more warriors. Nevertheless, she grabs her things as they escort her out. She notices, with a point of pride, that neither of the men dares laying hands on her.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The Aarakocra are among the more respected folks in the valley. So short lived that they would not merit a place in the council of Matrons, they have nonetheless been granted a permanent place for one of their females. In fact, they serve a most peculiar purpose: their main village is the outermost settlement among civilized people, being perched on the side of a cliff halfway up the nearest and smallest of the Ice Peaks. Their unique positioning and fast airborne travel makes them the ideal first responders to any foul beast or spirit that exits from the Winding Wood, as well as any natural disaster. Most of them serve the valley as gatherers, scouts, and hunters, well-trained in fighting and hunting in groups.

That is, most of them. In fact, those who roam around the nearby town might have caught sight, or an unfortunate whiff, of a peculiar beggar stalking the streets around the Abbey of Abounding Aid. This unfortunate individual is, in fact, an Aarakocra; but a rather small one, barely taller than a human child, with dark green feathers, a diminutive shoebill beak, and yellow eyes lined with red. He normally wears smelly, tattered clothes, and carries one wing wrapped in soiled bandages. A passer-by who is brave of heart or insensitive of olfaction might notice, upon closer inspection, that some of the darker green on the feathers wasn't supposed to grow there. To those who care, he sometimes introduces himself as Blaze.

"Cah, cah, spare change for an injured bird, bruh? Cah, need to buy medicine, bruh." He usually drawls on. But today, Blaze’s repetitive appeals are suddenly interrupted, as two Elves of rough appearance and rougher manners pick him up unceremoniously from the street.

"Cah, I didn' do nothin', br... sir! No lollygaggin' no loiterin'! Cah cah! Just chillin', I swear! Cah!"

His outcries completely ignored, Blaze finds himself tossed in the back of a cart. Scared, his feathers ruffling over his beak, he tries to cover himself with his one functioning wing.

"You are called to present yourself before the Matrons,” Laughs one of the Elves, tossing him a bottle of something that smells oh, so sweet, presumably in exchange for shutting up. Which he does. Several elven curse words later, the cart starts sauntering away. 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

And so, it is just past midday, as most of the world stops for lunch, that four different folks arrive in four different ways at the court of the capitol. Built to resemble a four-sided diamond, the court surrounds an elegant central park, at the center of which stands a rose-shaped fountain of a black granite with golden veins.

The northern and southern points of the complex host the town’s two temples, dedicated to the spirits of justice and knowledge. To the north, the temple of justice is an imposing, somber square building of pitch-black stones, fronted by an immense colonnade. The wide epistyle carries a single decoration, a clenched, upraised fist engraved in silver. Below it, a silvered motto reads “No Mercy for Wickedness, No Forgiveness for Corruption”.

Just opposite, at the southern end, stands the temple of knowledge. The squat, single-story building is made entirely of glass, from the basement to the joints of the roof. A polished steel statue occupies the center of the glass staircase leading up to the temple, a one-eyed man sitting in meditation with a scroll unfurled on his lap.

The rest of the court complex looks much more ordinary than the shrines. Albeit well-built, and lavishly painted with red and blue trim, the remaining buildings inside of the brick wall are simple wooden constructions, two stories tall. It is towards one of these buildings, close to the eastern hall, that four different folks have been summoned by the Matrons for the day.

“Well, that’s annoying.” Mutters Hyde, as he takes a peek from between his wings. Even though he is still bound to the pole, his eyes dart around the capitol court eyeing the crowds of people, looking for a way out for a last-ditch run. He knows of various ways in which he could get out of the court, but today, unlike his previous visits, the place looks heavily presided by guards. Unusually so. It not being a holy day, as far he knows, the reason for such a mobilization can only be one: the matrons are meeting, all of them.

Most of the guards he can see are simple people working an easy job for the day. They have simple red cloaks and carry batons. They're likely laborers, hired to give directions and look scary. _“I could easily take down two of them,“_ He tells himself. _“Maybe three.”_

But the real problems are the heralds. Even from his precarious position, he can count at least twenty of them. Each of them wears scarlet leather jackets, and they carry spears, swords, and nets. They don't try to act tough, they don’t need to: their ferocity is clearly visible in their eyes, wild eyes that civilization has barely tamed. They seem to be regularly stationed around the court, as if in formation.

Well, no easy way out this time. Reluctantly sagging against his restraints, he turns his head up to speak to one of the Tiefling folk holding the pole.

"Hey, was there a celebration announcement I've missed? What's got all the Matrons’ knickers in a twist?"

They do not reply, but the old Elf walking next to him smiles. She puts her index finger over her lips. "You'll meet with me and my sisters soon enough. Then everything will be revealed. Until then, please be quiet, little one"

As he gapes at the woman, Hyde is brought around to the back of a building on the eastern side of the complex, and inside an immaculately-clean washroom. A bucket of water is tossed over him, possibly to wash off the scent of slightly overripe tomato. The Elf gives a smug smile and leaves, just as a herald comes up and unties his bounds. 

"Mind your manners,” Mutters the man, caressing the hilt of the sword mounted on his back with evident pleasure. “I've been ordered to treat you nicely, but try anything and I'll split you in two."

Hyde casts a quick glance at the sword’s sheathe, which looks designed for a quick release. He then rubs his sore limbs and coughs, as he washes the frigid water from his face. He pettily shakes his hair dry, making sure to get the herald in the splash zone.

"Yeah yeah whatever, I know when I'm out-maneuvered. Let's just get this over with."

He walks him into the large ballroom. It is filled with chairs and tables. 13 chairs are placed on a raised dais, with a single long table out before them. It is set with silverware and crystal goblets. He is seated at one of four smaller tables.

As the herald grabs a linen towel from a shelf and tosses it to Hyde, a loud cacophony of shrieks and cries breaks out at the washroom’s door. An elderly female Aarakocra ushers in a smaller specimen of her kind, looking thoroughly smeared with mud and muttering in Auran, recoiled in abject terror.

_“I used to be a good warrior. Good warrior. Good fisher. Proud warrior. Then wing broke. Then they gave me happy herb. Really happy herb. Now the matrons wanna talk to me. Can I have more happy herb? I used to be good. When can I be good again?”_ Too weakened by the rough journey to resist the older bird gently pushing him forward

She bows apologetically to Hyde and his guardian before picking up a soap bar and starts brushing it vigorously against the sodden feathers. The herald gestures Hyde to wait, clearly not wanting to get too close to the muck-covered bird.

The female starts chirping a simple song in the birds’ language, which Blaze recognizes as an old children’s tale. It tells a story about a young boy who wished to walk on the clouds, and was eventually swept into the heavens by the wind he rode. He suddenly realizes that the elderly bird resembles his dead grandmother, not only in the age, but also in the manners.

After a good deal of scrubbing and very little results, the female takes a step back and waves her wings at Blaze, muttering something under her beak. The soap, now covering him from head to talons, sizzles and evaporates in a gust of warm air. Looking at himself, magic still tingling funnily at his feathers, Blaze notices with great bewilderment that much of the grime and filth of living on the streets has vanishes. He still smells a little, though. As the female kindly guides him outside of the washroom, he finds himself muttering the old children’s song.

"Maybe I will be a great warrior again. Wing won't be a problem forever." He mumbles, not paying any attention at the herald and the Tiefling boy who soon follow.

The two cleaned-up guests are led into what looks like a large hall, or a ballroom, filled with chairs and tables. A raised dais at one end hosts a long table, with a total of thirteen chairs behind it. Just in front of the dais are four smaller tables, each with a single chair at his side. All five tables, the large one and the small, are laid with silverware and crystal goblets, as if in preparation for a dinner.

A lean Elf with an orange sash tied over his eyes is sat at one of the small tables as Blaze and Hyde are beckoned in. He seems to be thoroughly engaged in conversation with a larger bird in metal armor. While the two newcomers are directed to sit at two of the other small tables, a Tiefling servant approaches the Elf with a silver plate loaded with a variety of small snacks and drinks.

“Refreshments for you, master Eldrin.” Says the servant, laying the plate on the table. The Elf nods at her with a smile, and extends a hand gently over the table. The snake slides sinuously on the plate from the sleeve of its master’s robe, and starts slithering among the snacks with slow hisses. Eldrin’s fingers follow and the elf starts eating happily, feeling thoroughly comfortable with the situation.

“And here is the council chamber, if you please” squeals a little voice from the main entrance. A diminutive Elf steps merrily in the room before beckoning Celine in.

Even though she does not feel safe at all, she must admit that the temple complex is much more interesting than she imagined. Sure, nobody welcomed her; but nobody stared at her either. Her little guide did not attempt to make much small talk, but he was kind enough to point out the temples and the major buildings to her as they walked across the court. The thing that impressed her the most was the abundance of different peoples, representing all races. She found herself stopping in disbelief as she noticed a few humans sat in front of the iron statue of knowledge, apparently engaged in reading.

The whole place feels… strange. She has never experienced anything like this: the scale of the settlement, the strange ways of these so-called “civilized” folks, the overall sense of order. It makes her skin crawl uncomfortably. To think that she would be here, now, in the very sanctum of her sworn enemies! But it can be nothing short of the will of her god.

She eyes the small table her chaperone gestures her towards. Absolutely uncomfortable. But having come this far, she has no intention of starving. If this be the way her enemies want her to eat, so be it.

As the four guests are assembled at the small tables, an unseen gong rings in the vast hall. A large contingent of heralds enters the room, escorting thirteen female figures in plain, hooded vests. Seven of them—the majority, notices Celine—are Elves. Blaze stares at the one bird in the group, propping herself up with a walking stick. Of the remaining five, two are Dragonborns of a rare pigmy breed, almost small enough to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the other folks; and to Hyde’s utter surprise, three of the women are Tieflings.

Immediately after the thirteen Matrons take their seat at the table—the venerable Aarakocra having to climb on a stool to reach her chair—a whole throng of waiters brings food to each of the seated women and the guests. The matrons begin eating without any conversation, and so does Eldrin. After a moment of confusion, Blaze and Celine also join in. Hyde picks suspiciously at the food in front of him, but once everyone's taken a bite, he starts eating it slowly himself.

For a long time, only the clinks of tableware can be heard. Finally, with a clang of metal on glass, one of the matrons sets down her silverware. The rest of the thirteen women fall silent, and then stand up as one. They walk silently down the steps of the raised platform, positioning themselves before the four tables accommodating the guests.

The one who first stopped eating, a Dragonborn with faded gold scales, clears her throat and speaks. Her voice is rough and sharp, like a knife being sharpened against a stone.

"You all wonder what you are doing here, yes? I'm here to tell you that we need your help. Let us waste no time in getting to the heart of the matter.“

“The Valley is dying, slowly but surely; we will all starve if nothing is done. You four have been selected to be the group that will travel beyond our home to find a new place for us."


	2. Discussions and Beginnings

As the Dragonborn’s words fill the air, the four guests stare at the Matrons in silence.

Blaze is so flabbergasted he almost spits out his last morsel of food. How did the Matrons come to think he could be useful again? Surely they were misled. He once used to be an Aarakocra of arms, a warrior monk of the Peaks, but the only thing that remains of that bird is his unfriendly addiction to certain mountain herbs. Do the matrons not know that his wing is hurt? He is practically a dead bird already!

Blaze gawks in silence as one of the Elf matrons speaks up. Hyde shifts uncomfortably, recognizing her as the one who apprehended him in the alleyway.

"You are each talented in a unique way,” she explains. “Suited to the job at hand. Our sibling gods themselves brought you here, even though, I will admit, their judgment about some of you could be a matter of some debate."

The Elf looks over Blaze with evident contempt, and Hyde feels almost sorry for the small bird. The woman’s gaze, however, is promptly interrupted by another one of the Matrons, a Tiefling Matron with eye-shaped tattoos on each cheek.

"The oracle of knowledge has spoken,” she interjects. “If the vagabond Aarakocra does not go, we all die. Whether a new home is found will not matter!"

An imperative handwave from the golden Dragonborn cuts off both speakers, ending the altercation. All thirteen Matrons’ attention returns to the four guests.

"You four,” resumes the drake, “will travel to the Winding Woods in the company of our commander, Teral. There, you will meet with representative of the fey, the Firebolg, who have finally accepted to meet and negotiate for mortals to cross the forest."

Celine smirks defiantly at the matron. Of course she knew what the spirits had set in motion—that was her entire reason for visiting the city in the first place. But still, seeing that self-entitled crone asking for her help is thoroughly enjoyable. She even detected a pinch of frustration in that ‘finally,’ which made her hope that the Firbolg gave the Matrons a hell of a hard time.

The Dragonborn continues, in a very matter-of-fact voice. "After you have secured passage through the Woods, Teral will return to us here and report on your success. Our mages have already crafted special speaking stones, which will allow you to communicate with us from the other side of the forest. Once you have found a suitable site for the construction of a new city, and eliminated any obstacles that may prevent our people settling there peacefully, the current valley’s population will be relocated and an exodus will take place." The woman stops for a moment, surveying each of the four guests. Celine does her best to look uncooperative, but nobody dares speaking. The Dragonborn’s expression betrays her expectation, even though it is slightly tarnished by a hint of disdain.

Finally, the Matron begins again. “Travelling the Woods is dangerous after night has fallen, so you will depart tomorrow at sunrise. If you have any pointless objections to make, we will hear them now. "

Eldrin raises his hand politely. "I have no qualms to your requests. In fact, I am honored to have been chosen for such an important mission. Besides,” he adds, turning his blind eyes to the other three. “If what you said is true, it wouldn't do us much good staying here anyway."

The Dragonborn’s scaly head bows slightly towards the wizard. "And we are grateful for your presence and agreement, honored Eldrin. Without your support, this venture would surely fail, ere we would not send so valuable a citizen away."

Eldrin smiles bashfully at the matron, murmuring a "Thank you."

Blaze, on the other hand, is terribly agitated. The Matrons’ words have cut deeply into his spirit, like a sharp-edged sword tearing up his mind in two contrasting halves. He knows most people believe he is done for, but he was good once. Had he not got himself hooked on a human medicine not meant for bird folks… Maybe he could rise to the occasion again.

But one part of him, a significant part, is terrified of what may happen to him if he embarked in such a dangerous journey. He could just back off, get himself drunk out of his gourd, and spend the night in the usual ditch. By tomorrow at this time, he would have forgotten about everything. And yet, the prospect of feeling useful again sounded so much nicer.

As he looks absent-mindedly at the other guests, Blaze notices that the wizard is smiling at him and giving him a silent thumbs-up. He clicks his beak in acknowledgment of the support.

Seizing the break in the conversation, Celine stands up and slams both of her strong hands on the table. "Why us?"

The golden Dragonborn answers with a voice too hollow to sound reassuring. "You are all unique in your skills, life experiences, and goals. The spirits have revealed that each of you has a clear reason to want this to succeed." She pauses briefly, her fissure-shaped pupils gazing enigmatically at the standing priestess. "Towers and temples all fall to time. Perhaps in a new land you'll have better luck with finding new blood."

Celine recoils slightly before forcing herself to regain her composure. How could that old lizard know? She was the only one to witness the fall of the tower, and no spy or scout could have travelled to the city faster than her, not quieter. The matrons must have used some kind of magic trick, if not to scry over her temple, at least to receive the information earlier than they should have.

“I'm not from here,” She replies, defiantly. “I've been in town less than a day, and despite your bold claims, you know nothing of my intentions. So tell me, matron, why would I ever help you?"

A faint cough breaks up from among the assembled matrons, as a withered Tiefling woman, her skin greyed out by a combination of old age and the malediction, speaks up to all of the four guests. “With the exception of our illustrious wizard, you all have nothing else going for you. Your choice is between taking this assignment or wasting away into obscurity. Or, in the case of some of you,” she adds, looking at Hyde "Wasting away in prison. A fate we could always avoid by having you beheaded on the spot for your crimes, master Hyde. Is it not so?"

As the woman looks over the guests’ shoulders, Hyde hears the sarcastic voice of the herald who brought him into the room, as the soldier sniggers: "Just say the word, mistress, and it shall be done." Hyde can almost imagine him stroking the pommel of his sword in that same moment.

Still, he is not going to give the woman the satisfaction of seeing him intimidated. So, the young Tiefling sneers haughtily at the old woman. “If I may, you still haven’t told us what is in it for us. You can't expect this—pardon my words—this doomed expedition to succeed without proper preparations.”

A whistling sound announces the burly hand of the herald flying towards the Tiefling’s head. Hyde ducks just in time to avoid the full might of the blow, but even if softened, the slap hurts a lot.

"You'll speak respectfully when addressing the ladies, you little shit!" Growls the herald from behind him.

The grey Matron holds up a hand “Restrain yourself, soldier. He is not worth beating.”

“Besides,” interjects Celine, looking over at Hyde, arms crossed over her chest. "It's not what they're going to give you that you have to worry about: it's what they will take away."

Hyde notices that the priestess’s head is nodding towards the other heralds in the room, as her fingers flap rapidly in a way that the matron is unlikely to see from her position. Fifteen, interprets the Tiefling. Gotcha, miss: too many to pick a fight right now.

But still… He glares at the herald, squeezing his fists by his sides in anger. His voice comes out sharp when he answers. “So let them. They've taken everything away once, and it's not like I have much to lose anyway. You’ve all heard the rumors in the streets, right? We are not the first group of misfits they send out into the Winding Woods.” He turns over to the Matrons, before adding: “Respectfully speaking, the last expedition wasn't successful, was it? Nor the one before. I'm just curious as to what measures have you put in place to help us succeed where the other. Ones. Failed."

Tension is rising quickly in the room. Eldrin can almost feel the soldiers’ aggressivity, the Matrons’ impatience, and the other guests’ distrust of the whole situation. If this pressure is allowed to continue…

The wizard stands up from his seat, dragging the chair so that it screeches against the polished floor. "If I may,” he interjects politely, “None of us here has anything to gain from harsh actions, no matter their position.” He turns briefly towards the soldiers, then gestures at Hyde as he adds with a sterner voice: "That said, the young man here has a good point. I would also like to discuss safety arrangements."

Another of the Matrons, an Elven woman in a red skirt, steps forward. In contrast to her menacing colleagues, she holds herself rather humbly. In fact, Eldrin was secretly keeping tabs on her for the whole conversation. According to Soli, she has kept a few feet behind the otherwise impeccable line of the Matrons so far, as if trying to hide behind the others. Given her apparent lack of self-assurance, thinks the wizard, she must be a novice to the council.

The young Matron silently unties the left side of her robe, revealing her naked skin below. Even without Soli’s assistance, Eldrin can perceive a pulse of magic radiating from the Elf, a weave of runes that must be running from her shoulder through the breasts, all the way down to the abdomen. He recognizes the spell as a brand of veracity, an invasive magical procedure that forces the subject to speak the truth. It is powered by the user’s living energy, which must be provided by…

"I am the truth seer for the council.” Says the woman, pulling a needle from an inner pocket. “I speak no lies." The matron pricks her right thumb, then runs a single droplet of blood over her scarred skin. A soft, blue glow animates the runes as the quivers for an instant. “There is only one pass of sufficient size into the Ice Peaks, which passes the recently-fallen temple to the false god of the sky. The area is prone to avalanches, which pose too great a risk to send a large exodus through."

Celine feels herself being overcome with fury. Then that’s how they knew! Even though the elf spoke the truth, her audacity is utterly egregious. "I don't care who you are!” Shouts the priestess, pointing an accusatory finger at the Matrons. “I don’t care what you want, or how many soldiers you have. You dare blaspheming against Talos again, you will lose much more than just my cooperation!"

The guards shift around the room. Celine steadies herself, ready to act in her own defense if necessary.

The golden Dragonborn clears her throat again. "You'll have to forgive my colleague. The brand of veracity forces its subjects to speak… ah… a certain version of the truth regarding the gods. With no evidence of gods visiting our world in memorable history, the spellbearer must speak of any of them as being false. If asked about them, she would blasphemy our own protectors too."

Or, thinks Hyde, the truth is only what they make of it. Since the Elven matron activated the runes, he has been staring at her body, captivated by the blue glow radiating from her strange markings. That too, he thinks, is a kind of curse.

Celine has no interest in understanding the matrons’ magic, nor would she ever stoop down to discussing with them. Begrudgingly, she accepts the Dragonborn’s explanation with no further protest. She leans against the table in an attempt to regain her composure, gripping the side of its clothed top. How she wishes she was gripping the old hag’s throat instead!

After receiving an encouraging gesture from her colleague, the truth seer continues, picking up from where she left as if never interrupted. “Nor can we evacuate the valley through the desert, it being too large, and the oases too infrequent.”

Blaze nods in agreement. He remembers flying over the desert in scout missions, seeing for himself just how immense it is. Reaching the nearest oasis would take almost five days on foot, and wouldn’t be able to sustain more than a hundred people at most. Perhaps a flock of birds could make the journey through the entire expanse, but no earth-bound folk would be able to do feat.

“The Firbolg” continues the woman, “have so far succeeded in interrupting any attempts at navigating the Winding Woods, an opposition which is due to our disrespect for their ancestral laws. However, now that they have agreed to parley, an expedition is possible. Flight attempts over the wood are easily performed during the day, but various flying beasts from the mountains prevent a flying scout from crossing overnight. There is no other way.”

With a bow of her head, the matron concludes her speech. She pulls up her robe and steps back to her original place, a few feed behind the rest of the line. Even though the blue glow is now concealed, Hyde notices that she has not interrupted the spell.

The Dragonborn gives her fellow woman a gracious smile before taking the word again. “As for supplies,” she explains, “we have predisposed several wagons of provisions, which are ready to accompany you as far as possible. The forest is currently impassable on wheels, but you will be there to change this. What we are asking the Firbolg is their permission to build a road and dig a canal through the Woods, so that we can evacuate the population without impediments when the time comes. These will not be ready in time for your expedition to the other side, so you will be limited in what you can carry through the forest. However, once completed, they will make everybody else’s lives much easier. Teral, here, will handle the negotiations."

Upon hearing this, Celine straightens-up to face the Matrons again. Her voice is now calm, but streaked with irreverence. “And if diplomacy fails? Is it still your policy to crush those you cannot control?”

All thirteen matrons smile back at her, as if she was a good child asking the right question at the right time. Did they predict her reaction too?

The Dragonborn replies with thinly-veiled condescension. “Certainly, if the four of you could gather sufficient information about the Firbolgs’ numbers, assets and capabilities, that would hugely benefit the negotiations."

Hyde leans back in his chair, unsatisfied with the answers but aware of not having any choice. To stop himself from saying anything else dangerous, he moodily starts chewing on the food left before him. The small bird seems to have had a similar idea, he notices, given how he is literally tearing apart his food apart with his beak.

"Serve and you will be rewarded.” Says the truth seer, slightly parting her garments to show the still-glowing mark on her skin.

“That is indeed the truth.” Comments the golden Dragonborn. “You will now retire to the rooms we have prepared for you. This meeting is finished and we have many more affairs to take care of today”.

Without any more words, the thirteen Matrons depart. About half of the heralds exit with them, but the others remain in the room to escort the four guests to their allotted places. Despite his fear of the large soldiers, Blaze takes the chance to scarf down as much food as possible before being dragged off the dining table.

The heralds silently usher each of the guests to a different bedroom, deep in the court complex. As he is separated from the others, Eldrin is pondering on the meaning of the Matrons’ behavior. It is clear that they know more than they let on, and that the situation is dire. What kind of prophecy must they have received, to want to evacuate the entire population in such a hurry? And why does it have to be the four of them to carry out their will? If Teral is going to handle the negotiations with the Firbolg, what is the reason for them to also be present?

A partial answer to his questions comes as he is let into his allocated accommodation. The small bedroom is conveniently equipped with a comfortable bed, and a desk with a chair in front of a large window open to the warm courtyard. A small trunk at the foot of the bed seems to have been predisposed for a journey. Upon opening it, Eldrin finds a set of his best traveling clothes tucked inside, together with a brand-new oilskin bag that he does not recognize. Running his fingers over its silver clasps, he understands it to be designed to protect a book from the elements while traveling.

“Understood.” He whispers, stroking his little snake's chin. “Seems like they want us to bring our best magic, huh Soli?”

The three remaining guests are taken together to a far-flung corridor on the ground floor of the complex. The heralds there open three identical doors and each of them is ushered into one of the three identical rooms, each similarly furnished with a bed and a travel-ready trunk, in addition to a small window with heavy bars fitted on the outside. The doors are shut with the accompanying sound of a bar falling across the other side. Each of them notices a sealed envelope lying on top of the bed.

When Blaze opens the carefully-folded paper, he finds a familiar sketch of the city inside. It has been drawn from a bird’s view, showing all streets and buildings as they appear from above. He has not seen it this way since the accident. A beautifully-calligraphed caption reads: “Serve, and it can be yours again.”

Celine almost tears at her envelope in rage, before curiosity gets the best of her. Sitting on the bed, she unfolds the message to find an artist’s rendition of a majestic tower made of stone, as grey as a storm cloud in the morning. A throng of people is kneeling towards the building in worship, and golden lightning bolts decorate the imposing front doors. Upon reading the caption, she crushes the paper and throws it against the closed door. It read: "Serve, and it can be yours again."

The package left in Hyde’s room contains a small, leathery bag. As he rolls out the content upon his hand, he recognizes the very first thing that he stole: a small silver ring with a blue stone set in it. The sight makes Hyde freeze in horror. He took the ring together with Moxie, his first partner in crime; Moxie was so proud of the feat, he kept the ring as a trophy and wore it proudly every day since the theft. He must have worn it that day, too, as his severed finger is still wearing the ring as it slides from the bag in the palm of Hyde’s hand.

The young Tiefling collapses down to his knees in shock, cradling the ringed finger as if it was still attached to his friend’s hand. His own fingers are shaking as he carefully removes the ring. After a moment of hesitation, in which he looks at the amputated finger in dread, he cleans it up from the residual blood and bundles it up into his own handkerchief, pocketing it safely away. He decides to wear the ring, although it weighs heavier than it should. As he does so, a small notice falls out of the bag which contained the horrific present. The quick handwriting on it says: “Serve, and it can be yours again.”


	3. The Winding Woods

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A lot goes on in this chapter so you better buckle up, its gonna be a long one! :D

The warm summer sun has just started his journey in the cloudless sky, tingeing the mountain reaches in wisps of gold and rose, when the four travelers are escorted out of their rooms and into the courtyard of the capitol. Before the open gate, three loaded wagons are already waiting for them, each crammed with a bewildering variety of provisions, including dried food, water barrels, and camping equipment. Among the assorted paraphernalia, Hyde notices what look like lavishly-wrapped presents. Gifts to butter up the druids, he imagines.

The three pairs of horses attached to the wagons snort sleepily as the heralds usher the quartet forward. Two of the driver’s seats are occupied by young Tieflings, no older than teenagers by Hyde’s guess. The third wagon, positioned slightly ahead of the others, is manned by the bird soldier he saw in the hall, standing with the Elf. Teral, the matrons called him.

A small contingent of heralds emerges from the guard posts at either side of the gate to open it for the convoy. A couple of them walk up to Teral to offer him a salute. "May the twin gods watch over you,” Hyde hears them mutter, “and speed you to success."

If only. The bird nods politely at each of them, before raising his voice and gesturing at the four travelers to board the wagons. His voice is strangely deep and imposing for such a little creature, as he orders: "Let's go! We need to reach the forest before nightfall."

“Fine.” Growls Celine, heading to the last wagon of the small convoy. She intentionally left the trunk provided by the matrons in her room—or more properly, her cell—so she only needs to deposit her own traveling pack amongst the assorted cargo before hoisting herself on the rear part of the wagon, fully intentioned to keep an eye on their backs. Nobody is going to sneak up on them while she’s around.

After some pondering, Hyde follows her lead and sets aside his trunk on the last wagon as well. Not that he could reject the matrons’ gift, anyway: they had already packed all his possession inside the luggage. Besides, he was dragged to the capitol court without a chance to gather anything else. He even found his weapons inside of the trunk, but he is now keeping those on his person. Since Celine is occupying the rear, he takes a seat at the front of the wagon, close to the young accursed driver. It seems like a nice place to keep an eye out on the surrounding.

"Great, I get the two scary troublemakers." Hisses the kid. Hyde is not sure if he is talking to himself, or just pretending to. In any case, he guesses, the young one has no interest in starting a conversation. For some reason, the driver’s hostility makes Moxie’s ring on Hyde’s finger feel heavier than ever. He cannot blame the kid for calling him “troublemaker,” not after what happened to his friend.

On the cart just close by, Blaze is also dropping his possessions. All his meager ownings were neatly packed in his trunk, presumably picked up by one of the matrons’ lackeys from the ditch he had left them in. In any case, the luggage was too large and heavy for him, so he decided to wrap the little he owned in his rucksack, as usual, and hang it at the end of his sturdy, oaken staff. He looks around the caravan for a while, scurrying around the courtyard and picking at the ground in search of a blade of grass, some insects, or a mushroom for a quick breakfast. By the time he is satisfied with his pickings, Eldrin has set his trunk and a long, ornate staff firmly on the middle wagon, and has climbed up to sit on his luggage. The Elf smiles at him so warmly, so unusually for someone looking at him, that Blaze finds himself naturally starting a conversation.

"Cah cah! Can't believe, bruh! Cah! We are, like, totes going on a mission, bruh! Cah! A feather plucking mission, bruh! Cah!"

"It is exciting, isn't it?" Answers Eldrin, gesturing at an empty space on the truck just next to him. Blaze climbs up one of the large wagon wheels to join him.

"I will admit I am a bit nervous.” Adds the wizard, as the bird perches himself on the trunk. “We have quite the journey ahead of us. And it isn't going to be an easy one."

Now that he has settled down, Blaze is starting to feel very excited. He extends one of his talons towards Eldrin, remembering they haven’t been properly introduced to each other. "Bruh! Cah! The name’s Blaze, like, but not really, cah! The monks, like, called me that, cah! They couldn't, like, pronounce my bird name, bruh!"

Eldrin takes the bird’s talon and shakes it gently. “Nice to meet you, Blaze. My name is Eldrin.”

“Have you, like, seen the monks? I, like, trained with them some, bruh, they said would help me out of the herbs. Bruh, they go, like, kapow, spoosh, zing, hiya!" Before he realizes it, Blaze finds himself mimicking his old training routine. The cart rocks with his sudden movements, and the Tiefling driver turns around, glaring at him.

The Elf beams one of his smiles to the kid and gives an apologetic nod. “Yes, I have had the pleasure of seeing the monks practice their routines. They really are spectacular."

With everyone on board, Teral and the two Tieflings give a sudden crack of the rains, and the three carts set off on their journey.

The first part of the trip is uneventful. The small caravan hurtles through the streets of Vale’s Respite among the sounds of the city stirring up for the day, and before long, it is well into the countryside. The forest looms in the distance, a vague gray blur from this far away.

By the time the sun is high in the sky, Hyde has lifted his legs and rested it on the wagon’s sideboard. His coal-dark wings spread wide, he spends the long wait trying to chill out, avoiding the thought of their entry to the forest. Or any other thought, for what matters. Particularly the thought of Moxie’s finger carefully bundled in his pocket, and what could happen to his friend if he doesn’t return successfully to the city.

As Hyde struggles with the task of not thinking about Moxie, a scent of apples wafts to his nostrils, carried by the summer breeze. Looking to the left side of the road, he spots a large number of Tieflings picking fruit in an orchard. They sing crude songs, which, although not beautiful, have a strong and pleasant rhythm. He looks at the workers lazily as the wagon passes them by.

Celine is also watching the green plains roll by. Nobody seems to be following from behind. And there are no dangers in the distance. The cart drivers are obviously scared of her and keep casting furtive glances in her direction, but pose no threat. She does not notice the squadron of birds flying high above the caravan, who, however, do not go unseen by Blaze. He stares at them for a while, squinting. They are definitely watching over the group, he concludes. Whether spying or scouting for dangers, he is unsure.

The only one of the quartet to pay no attention to the surroundings is Eldrin, who spends the whole immersed in his books, writing notes and muttering to himself as he revises his magic formulae. That is, until Soli spots a delectable-looking beetle scuttling around and gets distracted. After catching the insect and gobbling it up with obvious satisfaction, the little familiar proceeds to curl up next to its owner, starting a digestive nap.

“How am I supposed to read now?” murmurs the Elf, caressing Soli’s scaled neck. As the snake appears to be thoroughly asleep already, he lets out a kind sigh. "I guess we have studied enough for today." He says quietly to himself.

About five miles from the Winding Woods, the road turns into a dirt path. The imposing tree line fills the horizon, green leaves swaying the in the gentle breeze. By the time the caravan has reached the forest’s edge, the colossal trunks and canopies cover the sight of the mountains. Even though the sun has just started heading towards its rest beyond the peaks, the looming shadows of those ancient giants make the entire place look darker, as if night itself is waiting for its time under their branches.

Teral, who is driving the front cart, pulls over the horses and parks against a nearby root, which is tall enough for the entire wagon to fit under it. The soldier unfolds a large, tattered map and starts examining it, his small, glittering eyes darting here and there over the parchment. After a few seconds, he points towards the tree line. "There is a clearing about three miles in,” He says, in a very matter-of-fact tone. “The path leading to it is wide enough for the carts, and it has been magically warded against the beasts, fairies, and any other creatures that may lurk in the woods, If we make it there by dark, we'll be safe."

After folding the map back in his pocket, Teral gives a meaningful nod to the two Tiefling drivers. The kids untie two of the horses and jump on them, riding back towards Vale’s Respite. “Time for you to drive.” explains Teral, glancing at the four remaining travelers. “They had orders to get back before nightfall.”

"A fair precaution.” Comments Eldrin, listening to the galloping sound dying away in a distance. Only after silence has fallen again, he asks: “Do you think we'll need someone to scout ahead at all?"

Teral shrugs, making the metal rings of his armor tinkle. "This area is fairly safe,” He says. “If one of you sits on the lead cart and keeps watch, we should be safe. Would you like to be the one? I think we could use some magic, after all."

"I would,” Answers the wizard, “but it seems my guide is taking her duties a bit lightly today." He points meaningfully at Soli, still asleep beside him, before adding with a chuckle: "I think miss Celine would make a good look-out. If nothing else, her strong looks will make any beast think twice before it gets too close".

Stretching her legs beside the parked wagons, the priestess straightens up upon hearing the suggestion. “Not a bad idea.” She murmurs, striding towards the rear wagon. She grabs her pack, walks over the front wagon, and mounts up to ride beside Teral. "Someone else take the rear,” She says over her shoulder at the other three. “Forests are great for ambushes." She takes a moment to stare down at Teral, considering whether she should add _'I should know.’_

The soldier meets her gaze, but his eyes reveal nothing.

In the middle cart, Blaze jumps eagerly onto the driver’s seat, picking up the reins with a low caw-caw. Upon hearing this, Eldrin giggles. “Well, I suppose I cannot really drive anyway.” Slowly and carefully, the wizard scoops up the sleeping Soli, who wakes up just enough to guide him towards the rear cart before dozing off again. As Eldrin climbs up and sets himself over the back, Hyde takes the reins with a groan.

The caravan engages the crude forest path very slowly, but the instructions on Teral’s maps prove accurate. The carts proceed among the thick undergrowth without toppling or breaking a wheel, even though the hidden rocks and roots make them rattle ominously at every other turn. With a bit of care, the three drivers direct the horses forward. The forest is quiet around them, with only the sounds of rustling leaves and the occasional trampling of an unseen animal breaking its stillness.

After proceeding in silence for a while, Teral stops the front cart at a small fork in the path. The twisting road to the left is too narrow for a cart to cross, while the one to the right, though apparently wider, is obstructed by low, overgrown branches. The bird consults his map for a moment, staring hard at the tall canopy to catch a glimpse of the sun’s position in the sky above. Then, he points his wing towards the broader path.

“We’ll have to clear our way.” He says before leaping down from the driver’s seat. He treads towards the obstruction and draws his sword, reaching out to the closest branch to draw it towards himself. But as soon as he touches its leaves, a high-pitched screech resonates through the forested surroundings. Teral ducks just in time to avoid a screaming mass of wood and bark that springs in his direction from the nearby tree. Immediately after, several other leafy masses jump down from the foliage all around the carts. They unwind, revealing long, vine-like bodies and an array of sharp, jagged teeth.

“Ambush!” Roars Celine, as one of the creatures shoots towards her. She punches the monster straight in the snout, sending it flying. At the same time, another one leaps on one of the two horses pulling the wagon, clawing at its side with its fierce, thorn-like claws. The animal neighs, swaying madly out of pain in an attempt to shake off the attacker. In the middle cart, Blaze digs under a crate before a pair of those plant-like devils land on the wagon. They sniff the air, as if searching for his smell.

The creatures that landed on the ground are now scurrying under and around the wagons at lightning speed, howling like a thousand storms. Two of them climb onto the rear cart over the wheels, arcing their flexuous backs at the two occupiers.

Now fully awakened by the noise, Soli hisses. Eldrin franticly grabs for his rune-covered staff lying on his side and swings it with fulminating agility at the closest of the monsters. The intricate symbols flash brightly as the staff’s head strikes it straight in the chest with a loud _CRUNCH_. The moment after, the creature collapses into a pile of splinters, green sap splattering onto the carefully-wrapped provisions surrounding the Elf. Before Eldrin can appreciate the effect of its magic, however, the second monster is already upon him. Hindered by the staff’s bulk and the many crates all around, he can do nothing more than put the weapon between himself and the monster, attempting to holt off its vicious fangs and claws. But still, the sheer momentum of the creature bearing down on him pushes him backwards, and he falls painfully upon on his own trunk, the monster biting and scratching at his clothes.

“Keep it going.” Whispers Hyde, letting go of his horse’s reigns and pulling up his bow and quiver from behind the driver’s seat. In the blink of an eye, he shoots an arrow towards the front wagon, aiming at the devil clawing at the horse. The creature’s head bursts like a blooming blossom as the iron-headed projectile pierces its back, exiting through one eye on the other side. With a cascade of sticky sap, which dies the horse’s back verdant, the monster falls to the ground.

“Teral!” The Tiefling cries out. “You said the road was safe! What on earth are these things?”

But Teral is in no condition to answer. Looking over to the thick branch blockade, Hyde sees the soldier beset by two of the howling creatures, which loom over him as he tries to fend them off with his sword. If the bird manages to answer, the monster’s screams cover his words. Hyde pulls a new arrow from his quiver, but before he can even start aiming, he notices the two monsters from the middle cart charging towards him. Evidently, they’d rather go for him than look for Blaze. Muttering a curse, he drops the bow and draws his own sword from the hilt.

A sudden blur of feathers darts up from under a crate on the middle wagon, just behind the lunging monsters. Blaze’s pointed stick smashes through one of the creatures’ head as the bird jumps on its back, his weight pushing it down until it hits the ground and goes limp. With a quick leap, Blaze swings his stick at the second monster, which is now storming towards Hyde. But his broken wing makes him lose balance mid-air, and instead of smashing through the creature, he careens past it and falls onto the wagon.

Even though he missed the attack, for the first time in many months Blaze feels like laughing. After rolling painfully over the wagon’s floor, his body hits something soft. Something moving! He turns around to see Eldrin still pinned down by the plant-like devil, Soli hissing menacingly from around his neck.

"Cah! Bruh, I got you!" He chirps, piercing the creature’s face with the end of his stick. As the monster pivots backwards, he leaps over the stick and clasps the devil with his talons, one on the waist and one on the shoulders. The creature’s spine cracks under the bird’s weight, and both plunge down on the wagon’s floor, though only Blaze is still standing.

“Thank you my friend.” Smiles Eldrin, propping himself up against the crates.

“Ouch!” Moans Hyde, as the creature fighting him over the driver’s seat sinks its claws in to his arm. Even though he is using the hilt of his sword to keep the fangs at bay, the vicious needle-like thorns are proving to be too great of a match in close combat. But the pain in his arm is nothing to him: he would gladly lose the entire limb, if that meant keeping the raging devil away from his wings. Celine and Teral, he notices, are faring slightly better, keeping the creatures at a distance with their hammer and sword; but they also seem close to being outnumbered.

“Come on, wizard!” Yells the Tiefling, blood dripping from his injury. “Got any spells that could be handy?”

Eldrin’s expression appears almost puzzled for a second. But then, “Oh, yes! Right!” He grasps his book and stands firmly onto the wagon’s floor, Soli’s eyes running through the pages as he flips them hurriedly one after the other. Finally, Eldrin slams his finger onto the open page, following the traces of arcane ink on the paper’s surface. With a quick series of incomprehensible words, the wizard lifts his hand from the book and points it, fingers outstretched towards his imperiled companions. A barrage of shimmering white bolts explode from his skin, speeding towards the screeching creatures. A series of blasts follow suit, as each of the monsters is hit by one of the glistening darts and explodes in a gush of splinters and green sap.

“Is that all of them?” asks Eldrin, hand once again lying on the pages.

“You missed one.” Answers Hyde, spreading his wings and flying off towards the last remaining monster, close to the front wheel of the middle wagon. The creature ducks and slithering under the wagon as Hyde’s sword sweeps through the air. "Hold still, dammit!" Roars the Tiefling with a loud swear. The devil is now scuttling towards a bush, probably unsettled by Eldrin’s show of magic. Before Hyde can close the distance again, he lost sight of it.

A sharp clinking of metal and Teral dives upon the bush, cutting it down with a wide movement of his sword. Immediately after, Celine’s hammer falls heavily on the spot where the monster was, but she is not quick enough. With a daring jump, the devil leaps onto a nearby branch, running for the canopy. That is enough for Hyde. Now seeing the target again, he lunges forward on his rapid wings and spears it through with his outstretched blade. With a final burst of sap, the last monster gurgles one last time before even that noise dies down.

Hyde lands on the forest ground with a soft thud. His expression thoroughly disgusted, he flicks the green sap from his sword. His insides are churning at the sight of the monsters’ corpses, something he never experienced in his many years of crime. He notices that one of the twig-like fingers of the creature snapped off as it fell from the branch and a sudden recollection of Moxie’s finger in his pocket rushes over him. He feels like puking, but he doesn’t want to.

He forces himself to think about something else. "What are these things anyway?" He asks, a little more loudly that he intended. He wracks his brain for any rumors he might remember about the monsters, in an attempt to keep his thoughts at bay.

"I have no idea.” Comments Teral. “Let’s get out of here. Our safe zone is about an hour away from here, and we only have about an hour of good daylight left.”

"Could we get there faster?" Asks the Tiefling, silently thankful to the soldier for the distraction.

"As I said, it will take no less than an hour to navigate the brush with the horses and carts. We could be there in a much shorter time if we left the carts, but I wouldn’t recommend it anyway."

"And there's no other way? Couldn't we speed through with our stuff in tow?"

Hyde’s voice is interrupted by a short cough from Eldrin’s direction. As everyone turns to stare at the wizard, he interjects softly in the conversation. "Pushing forward blindly is likely to be dangerous, especially in such perilous grounds. If we aren't careful, we could end up tipping over a cart, which would waste what little time we have."

Hyde stares at the Elf for a moment, wondering if he used the word “blindly” on purpose. Then, he nods. "You’re right, we have a full hour. Let’s use it well. We didn't bring this stuff for nothing."

Eldrin nods back at the Tiefling, then turns around gracefully to walk towards Blaze. As soon as the confrontation ended, the bird went checking on the horses and is now cooing soothingly at the one that was hurt.

"Coo coo, bruh, it's alright. Bad sticks are goners." He whispers, petting the injured animal. As the Elf comes close, Blaze turns his attention towards him, although his good wing keeps stroking the horse’s mane. "Bruh! You alright? Damn twiggers!"

"Yes, I'm alright.” Answers the wizard. “They were rather horrible little creatures, weren’t they? You did a very good job dealing with them. I'm impressed!"

"None too shabby yourself,” Interjects Hyde, joining the duo to examine the horse’s injuries. He makes a wide gesture with his hands, pantomiming Eldrin casting of the spell. “With your magic projectiles or whatever."

The Elf rubs the back of his head, blushing a little. "Oh, that old trick. Thank you."

Hyde shrugs. "What you reckon, birdbrain: horses looking alright?"

"Uh?” Mutters Blaze. His feathers ruffle at the epithet, something he hasn’t experienced in a long while. After so long living in streets and sleeping in mud, name-calling is the normal way for people to address him. Even he addresses himself that way. But now that the wizard is treating him like a person, it no longer feels right. He stammers for a moment before he manages to get his answer straight. “Yeah, plucked... chicken... brain... the big bruhs are okay."

The Tiefling nods and gives the horse a hearty pat to the side. "In which case, we're burning daylight standing around. The sooner we get to the clearing and set up camp the sooner we get out this damned forest."

“Finally some sense.” Comments Celine, climbing back onto the front cart. "Let’s get a move on."

Imitating the priestess, Blaze also climbs back in the middle wagon. He cocks his head towards Eldrin, looking for something to say. He likes talking to the Elf. "Bruh, that was wicked! You went, like, Pew pew pew! The twiggers are, like, kindling. Kapow!"

“Indeed.” Chuckles Eldrin, following the over-excited bird onto the cart. Once the wizard has boarded, Blaze picks a dried-up leaf from his rucksack and starts chewing on it, sighing.

Hyde eyes the leaf curiously as he crosses over to the rear wagon. He has seen plenty of those in the criminal underground, but he never knew that birds would make use of them too. He ponders whether he should warn Blaze of the risks, but eventually decides to say nothing. After all, it is not his business.

With the carts moving again, the caravan pushes onwards towards the clearing, paying extra attention to the shrubbery and stopping to listen at every sound of snapping twigs or twisted leaves. However, no more dangers befall them and by the time they get to the clearing described in Teral’s map, the sun is already setting. The sky, now visible across the canopy, is lit with an orange glow and even though the gargantuan trees prevent them from seeing the mountains, they know that dusk will fall soon on the valley.

Like Teral said, the area bears evident signs of enchantment. Wild plants and even the thick forest undergrowth form a perfect circle around the clearing, as if pressing against an invisible wall. The only plants growing in the clearing, except for the impeccably-manicured grass, are four giant oak trees, forming a neat square at the center of the garden and joining their foliage high in the sky, with no low-hanging branches at walking height. They are surrounded by a circle of low cobblestones, and among them, a regular ring of carved stone plinths supporting what look like small wooden lanterns. A small pool of water, with no river entering or leaving it, sits in the northern edge of the clearing, and judging by the low croaking or frogs in the quickly-descending dusk, it must be a permanent feature of the place.

Still, the civilized appearance of the place is not what draws the five traveler’s attention. To their surprise, in fact, somebody is sitting at the center of the oak-delimited square. A minuscule woman covered in a green shirt and skirt, blond hair tied in pig tails, is squatting next to a small campfire, apparently intent in consuming a meal of roasted potatoes. A diminutive covered wagon and a pony are parked close by, the animal grazing peacefully on the pristine grass.

As soon as the caravan enters the clearing, the woman looks up and her large, brown eyes glide swiftly over the approaching party. Was it not for the adult proportions of her body, she would look like a child.

"Oh,” Exclaims the girl, with a surprisingly mature voice. She doesn’t look surprised by the visitors. Quite the contrary: her voice is soft and kind-hearted, and her luminous smile welcomes them warmly while they approach. “Hope I am not intruding at all: I didn't realize this was a popular camping spot. If you need me to, I can pick up and move elsewhere."

"We were not expecting to find the place occupied," Answers Eldrin, waving at the woman from the middle wagon. "But there is no need to relocate, I'm sure there's plenty of room for all of us.” The Elf looks to the other travelers in turn, before adding with a low voice: “Right?"

Teral and Hyde stare diffidently at the girl, but make no objections. Celine simply shrugs. The only one to reply is Blaze, who bends towards the wizard as if intending to whisper something. However, given that Eldrin is much taller than him, he actually need to cawk loudly for him to hear. "Bruh! That's, like, a kid in the forest!"

"I am actually 28 years old,” Frowns the woman. “I just don’t look it.” Her look of offence, however, is short-lived. In the blink of an eye, she starts talking rather quickly, standing up from the fireplace and gesturing widely towards the travelers. “I am Ellebasi, by the way. Who might you all be? And would you like some food? I might have some left in the wagon over there."

His head turning at the mention of food, Blaze drops the horse’s reigns, jumps down from the driver’s seat and makes a beeline for the wagon. With the driver gone, Eldrin also alights from the vehicle. Soli’s eyes agree with Blaze: the person in the clearing looks like a child in stature. However, her mannerism, voice, and language are consistent with the age she declared. How puzzling! In any case, he salutes her with a little bow. "It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Ellebasi. My name's Eldrin."

Celine leans forward from the front cart’s passenger seat, inspecting the girl with curiosity. It is her first time meeting somebody like that, too. One thing she knows, however, is that nobody like that lives in the valley. As a consequence, the tiny woman may not be hostile after all. Wishing to make a good first impression, the priestess gestures benignantly towards the girl. "Well met traveler. Are you from around these parts?"

"I'm actually a travelling merchant.” Explains the woman, talking a little too quickly again. “And, I am a treasurer for the Gold Rose Merchant Guild. I am on a journey North, to find new markets for our goods. I have some samples in the cart, you see. But the sun was starting to set, so I had to stop. Fortunately I found this clearing to set up camp, and… well, you came."

The woman stops for a moment to take breath. She chucks a few more logs on to the fire, sending little cinders to fly upwards, before continuing. “So, what ‘bout you? Why travel out here in the wilds? Going somewhere special? Or just aimlessly wandering in hopes for adventure?"

Having plucked a long strip of dried meat from a rack on Ellebasi’s wagon, Blaze shoots back towards the fire. He sits down close to the flames, chewing loudly. "Big quest deal or something.” He mutters.

Eldrin nods encouragingly. "Precisely. To elaborate further, we have been sent to parley with the Firbolg. We are expected to discuss the matter of safe passage through the forest. Interestingly, it was supposed to be impenetrable."

“But, but… Cah, you here!” Cries Blaze, staring wildly at the girl. “Bruh! You a fairy, sis?”

Ellebasi looks back to him with an expression of amused puzzlement. Even though the bird is sitting, their eyes are almost level with each other. "Fairies? Never heard of something like that. But, you are on a diplomatic mission and you seem to know the area much better than I do. Perhaps I could come with you? I would like to meet these fairies, and I have good speech skills. You know, being a merchant and all that. Just…” She adds, eyeing Teral’s armor and the swords hanging from his and Hyde’s waist. “Just don’t get me into any trouble. Violence is not my strong suit. It... it hurts me emotionally. Although, if anything bad happens, I can still make myself useful."

Eldrin claps his hands together. "But that is just wonderful: what a lucky coincidence to meet you here! Yes, I believe we could definitely use someone like you." He turns his face to the others, before adding: "What do you say?"

“I say it’s the soldier’s mission here,” Replies Celine, nodding towards Teral. “Let him decide about this. I don’t care.”

Blaze, for one, has made up his mind already. "Cah! Bruh, would be, like, really mad, to have, like, an emotional support old kid with us, bruh! Cah! And she, like, gave me food bruh!"

“We will see.” Comments Teral with a dry and factual voice. “For the moment, we need to worry about spending the night.”

"Be my guests!" Offers Ellebasi, gesturing at the fire. As the remaining travelers also approach and warm themselves up, she looks at each of them in turn, inspecting their appearances. She adds more vegetables to the roast, passing them around when just ready.

"I must say,” She comments after a while. “You're certainly an odd bunch. But nothing new to me. Except,” She adds, pointing at the Teral and Blaze, “You two. I've never seen your sort before, even at the guild markets. What, may I enquire, are you?"

“What do you mean?” Asks Teral. “Surely you must have seen birds before.”

“Not like you.” Answers Ellebasi, warily. But before Teral can ask what she means, Blaze interrupts the exchange with a squawk.

"Cah! Bruh, I mean, sis, I am from the tribe!" He sings out the name of the clan, a series of chirps and clicks which uniquely identify the birds from his territory. "But,” He adds, “The peeps here just call it the bird tribe of the small peak! Cah! The bruh there is from the city." To explain what “being from the city” feels like, Blaze emits a cacophony of screeches and clanks, distinctively less harmonic than the one he used to describe himself. Teral’s head tilts slightly, but the soldier makes no comments.

Now shaking excitedly, Blaze continues. It’s been so long since somebody asked something about him! "I was, like, huntin' or somethin', when I hurt my wing, like, diving for a nice fat trout, sis." He flexes his bandaged wing. "That was, like, super uncool, bruh! Sorry, sis! Unless you feel like a bruh, than we cool! But cannot fly no longer. The monks took care of me from, like, in a frigging abbey! Can you imagine? They were all nice-like and healthy-mind-in-healthy-body, and then they gave me this awesome herb to take away the pain. Wow, sis, it is groovy! Anyway, monks call me Blaze." Having finished his introduction, he extends a taloned caw towards Ellebasi. She nudges closer to him to return the shake.

"Nice to meet you, Blaze!” She comments. “It was nice of those monks to patch you up after you got hurt like that. I honestly don't know what you mean by bruh or sis. Are those words native to your tribe or something?"

As the two keep chatting, the sun rapidly falls and daylight fades into the moonless, star-filled night. Then suddenly, a small light appears in each of the lanterns around the four oaks, each of a different color and strangely still, as if produced by something different from a flame.

By the time the unusual magic happens, the five travelers are too engaged with the meal to notice. The smell of roast wafts tantalizingly from the fire, and nobody but Eldrin considers that such fresh provisions are certainly not suited for long travels. Not that it stops him from thoroughly enjoying them, anyway. Even Celine sits cross-legged by the fire, eating Ellebasi’s tasty food. From her perspective, the woman’s exotic appearance is none of a drawback. If anything, it demonstrates that the little one does not conform to the norms of the matrons. Maybe the girl could be her first new convert. Any temple needs good cooks for the offerings.

When everybody is satiated, the wizard and the priestess stand up first. Both had the same idea of checking the surrounding area for threats before settling down for the night, so they head together towards the forest’s hedge. Upon seeing them examining the undergrowth, Hyde flies up to inspect the treetops.

Ellebasi watches them do a poor job of searching so with a smile, tilting her head and staring at them intently she exclaims. "You're doing a good job over there". As the woman’s voice reaches his ears, Hyde feels a warm tingle flow through his body. Suddenly, his tired eyes come sharply into focus, all fine details of the surrounding foliage neatly resolving as if in plain daylight. Magic? No, but something similar: it feels almost like the rush of energy he experiences when he taps into the curse.

"That's a neat trick you got there." He comments, after circling the tree-line a couple of times without noticing any threat. He lands softly at Ellebasi’s side, beating the air over her with his coal-black wings. Shortly afterwards, Eldrin and Celine march back to the fire, too.

"Seems like we're pretty safe here." Comments the wizard proudly.

Hyde nods. "Nothin' 'round the trees either”

In fact, the area appears to be even too safe. The singing of insects and the low rustling of small animals in the underbrush is a good indicator that no big predator is nearby. Strangely, however, none of the omnipresent critters seems to enter the clearing, not even the moths, who would normally swarm madly at the flames.

"I had checked earlier too, when I arrived.” Says Ellebasi, gingerly. “I couldn’t find any danger either. We have four consistent witnesses, so it is decided! This is a safe place as any to rest."

The woman smiles at the assembled travelers, then reaches for her belt and pulls out a small, multi-piped flute from an ornate leather pouch. "You guys like music?" She asks, as she shows the instrument to them with evident glee.

"Ooo, yes!" Eldrin replies, nodding enthusiastically and scooting closer to the woman.

“I could use a musical interlude.” Confirms Celine.

Even Hyde, contrary to his silent habits, would like to hear what kind of tunes the minuscule person can play. He kicks up his feet and settles down near the fire, sighing: "Let's hear it."

Smiling gracefully, Ellebasi closes her eyes as begins to play an uplifting tune. Even though the allegro melody sounds strangely out-of-place in the quiet of night, everybody feels suddenly more relaxed. Hyde's head bobs along with the beat, and Eldrin softly claps in time, enjoying the song.

For a moment, the musician’s eyelids part quietly, as if checking that everyone is following along. Then, she immerses again in her performance. The dark, moonless sky bears over the clearing, the stars obscured by the light from the fire and the many, multicolored lanterns lining the cobblestone circle. By the time Ellebasi has finished her play, the five travelers are all sleeping peacefully.


	4. An Encounter with Worgs

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heads up, things get a little bloody in this one.

Ellebasi is awake early the next morning to handle guild paperwork. One of the burdens to being the guild treasurer is having to handle the financial stuff. Still, being an important guild member also gave access to important perks. She neatly laid out more guild rations for the other members before getting on with her work.

  
Hyde lets out a yawn, waking up along with the sun. He sits up and rubs the sleep from his eyes, spotting Ellebasi sitting next to food going through paperwork. Getting up quietly, he sneaks in to get a closer look at the papers. Still being half asleep he can't make out what is written. Luckily she doesn't notice him behind her, casually eating her own guild rations as she works.

He rubs his eyes and yawns loudly to announce his presence. "Mornin' Ellebasi."

"Oh. Well good morning there." She rolls up the scroll and puts it away. "I trust you slept well?" She said with a smile. "I left out guild rations for you."

"Slept like a rock atop a rock. Kind of you to leave us some breakfast, much appreciated." He smiles back and picks up a ration and examines it suspiciously out of habit. Same as it was yesterday. Spiced bacon jerky and veggies. 

"I always pack plenty of rations when I travel. My guild's base camp is by the south coast, a three day trip from here." She explains.

The Tiefling lets out a long low whistle, impressed. "You're quite a ways away from home. Farther than I've travelled in total at least."

"Oh, that's only the base camp. My actual home city is another 7 days by boat. We're trying to expand and make connections on other continents"

"Ya encounter anythin' interestin' out and about? Personally I'd recommend against making connections with the Valley,” His expression sours as he talks.”Unless y'alright with some old crones butting into your business for everything. But there is still good money to be made in that place."

"Oh I know all about rival guilds. I deal with that back home. But as for anything interesting while I've been here, I can't say I have. Unless you count meeting your bird friend in the party." She tilts her head in his direction.

Right on cue, at the mention of the bird, Blaze yawns widely and stirs from his roosting place atop the wagon frame. He starts preening the feathers on his injured wing. "Cah! Bruh, this forest is, like, magic, or some shit! My flapper feels wicked good. Oh! Mornin' there, sis, cah!"

Celine cracks an eye open to watch as her companions’ wake, before silently joining them for breakfast. Not too long after, hearing most of the party awake, Eldrin stretches, readjusts his blindfold and makes his way over to the others. "Good morning everyone!" He says cheerily.

Hyde waves at the two. "Ellebasi's got breakfast covered, come eat."

He smiles and sits down, letting his little snake roam about the camp while he eats. 

Teral is the last to rise and eats his own breakfast by the fire. He seems to not be a morning person. "As for today, someone is supposed to meet us here and escort us to a Firbolg camp.” He explains in between bites. “When we arrive, I'll take care of my business and you four need to find out whatever you can about these druids and get someone to let you through the forest."

Once the briefing is over, Hyde goes over to one of the oak tree trees to take a leak. As he starts a pair of purple eyes open up about seven feet above the ground and he hears a deep voice speak.

"Please stop urinating on my feet." A seven foot tall, lanky being with navy blue skin steps away from the tree and becomes visible. He has long black hair on his head and short black fur on much of his skin. He is large but not particularly muscular. This new voice surprises Eldrin and he almost chokes on a mouth full of food while Celine's hand goes to her weapon, but she holds back to see how the situation plays out. Ellebasi turns her head suddenly to the new creature. 

Hyde frantically zips up midstream, apologies and infernal curses spilling from his mouth in equal measure as he finds a new private spot. "Sorry, sorry, sorry! Didn't know this one was sentient."

"Ooo, that food looks delicious!" He wanders over to the fire and helps himself to some of their food.

"Woah. You're a big creature. What are you?" Ellebasi asked with awe looking at them.

"Oh where are my manners. My name is-" He hums a few bass notes. "But in the common tongue I am usually called William Willow. As for WHAT I am... Surely you would know a Firbolg when you see on. I'm also not a tree, I just happened to be sleeping against that tree last night."

Hyde blushes and hides behind Celine to escape his embarrassment. Blaze gives the bird head tilt treatment to the newcomer, his beak agape. After a few moments of surprise, he approaches the Firbolg. 

"Hoo! Bruh, kooks can't, like, pronounce your name? Cah! Me too! High five, bruh!" He tries to repeat the sequence using his avian phonemes. "Huh! Your name is hella hard for my beak! Cah"

"That's certainly a... Unique way of sleeping." Eldrin says once he had caught his breath and brushed the bits of food off his vest. "Well, it's very nice to meet you, William! I'm Eldrin and this is my party." He gestures to everyone. "We're here with Teral to discuss a very important matter."

The Firebolg finishes eating and makes his way over to the carts that the Valley folk brought, "Hmmm, what have we here?" And starts rummaging through the carts. 

Ellebasi follows him. She sees his going through the various items very carefully, picking it up, evaluating it and then moving on to the next. What he's looking for exactly she hasn’t a clue. "Hey, this party is my escort. I was just waiting for them to catch up with me." She says in a quiet tone. Surely this Firbolg would recognize her as that merchant from the coast.

"Mmm, yes, I'm aware of your identity. But these people are not your friends, are they? They were strangers to you last night. Or so the fairy folk told me." He says this at a normal volume and glances at her with an eye brow cocked.

"You'd be surprised at what stories around a campfire will do. Even a stranger you meet the night before will become your friend." She said with a smile. "So what is it you're looking for in the wagon?"

"While I do not agree with their imprisonment, even I know that the Valley Folk cannot be trusted. I am searching for weapons and arcane items that could pose a threat to Druid kind.” He pause’s his search. “Or... Perhaps you do not know of this.... I fear I may have spoken rather hastily..." His ears droop a little and he wriggles his rather large nose.

The Halfling frowns. "What? What’s wrong? Are these folks..." She motions to the party. "Wanted criminals? Because I do not know anything about them. They don't appear harmful and only seek to talk to the Firbolg. Being a good talker I want to help them but I also want to help you as well." She didn't like to choose sides. It hurt in many ways.   
"As for what is in the wagon, whatever is in there is going to the city just on the other side of the river." Pulling out a map she shows him and points to where she is going. "And well I am glad I met that group. I get uneasy travelling alone. I feel unsafe."

Hyde stays silent at his comment on the Valley folk, though he mulls over being called prisoners. "That can't be right. Why imprison them only to look for ways to make them leave?" He thinks to himself

When Blaze hears about the matrons keeping the valley 'prisoner', he deflates visibly. "Hoo! Are we wanted criminals, bruh? Why, like, nobody told me? Cah!"

The Firebolg looks over and notices Blaze’s injured wing, he pauses his search and bends down for a better look. "Quite an injury. You can't fly anymore, can you?"

"It's feeling wicked now, bruh!” He perks up a bit and demonstrates by flapping it a little. “I think I will be able to, like, use my flapper again soon! I dig flying, man! Bummer that!"

"Maybe when you can fly once more you could show me a thing or two about speed flying you Aarakocras are known for." Hyde grins while flapping his own bat-like wings.

Blaze makes some happy clicks at all the talk of flying again. "Coo coo, feathers, my dude! They, like, tell the wind to chill, and let you blaze by, bruh!"

As Celine listens, she assumes that the Firbolg means that the people of The Valley are the prisoners of The Matrons, which she agrees with. She decides to banter with the Firbolg a bit, just to see if he indeed shares her opinions. "I see the reputation of The Matrons is known beyond The Valley, perhaps I may make some friends out here after all."

"Hmm, yes, the Matrons. A cunning and fiendish lot that cannot be trusted." He doesn't look at her as he talks, but moves onto the next cart and repeats his process. Ellebasi checks her cart to make sure nothing was missing. Last thing she needs is this weird creature stealing stuff. Pulling out a check list she goes through the inventory.

Eldrin takes in this new information, it certainly raises even more question than he had before. But he decides to push them aside for now. "If we are able to make a complete stranger feel safe with us, I think it is safe to assume you can too." He assures William.

"Hmm, not criminals no, you all seem safe enough. You could barely beat a group of twig demons so you can't be that dangerous."

"Haha, you got us there.” He smiles politely, even if the comment annoyed him slightly. “Then there doesn’t seem much point in going through our things, if we did have something that could have helped we would have used by now."

"Hmmm, yes but rules are rules, you know." William finishes looking through the third cart they brought. "Hmm, well that's all in order. I guess I should take you to the town you're after then? I suppose you Ellebasi have money to make, and the rest of you have some 'important work' to be about."  
He walks over to the edge of the clearing and lifts a travelling pack out from behind a tree, then approaches the North side of the grove and begins to hum a low series of bass notes. Then he speaks in Common. "The forest has agreed to open a road."

The trees then begin.... to move very slowly, as if the ground beneath them was sliding. It takes about ten minutes but eventually a path is opened about 15 feet wide and you can see it extends about 100 yards up. Hyde looks on in wonder at the trees and the seemingly magical path.

"We must be careful, the path will attract attention and there are no Fairy wards to guard us on the road." He points at Eldrin. "Supposedly Elves are blessed with keen eyes, perhaps you should take watch."

Eldrin gives a nervous laugh but doesn’t say anything.

Hyde keeps his eyes wide for danger and those fairy wards. He scuttles up next to William to walk alongside him. "Say, William. Mind tellin' us a little more about them fairy wards?"

"Hmm... you mean you slept in the grove without investigating the multicoloured flameless lights that were on the entire perimeter? They lit up when the sun fell." He pointed out. The party stays quiet. "Forest fairies placed within a lantern of some kind, especially in a perfect ring, repel all manner of beast, fiend and undead. We use them to guard various important sanctuaries in the forest. They willingly participate in exchange for the simple trinkets we offer them."

Hyde nods as he explains, travelling down the path and through the woods without issue, heading North East, further away from The Valley. The day passes and soon the party sets up camp again at another grotto. While they eat, William tells them that they will likely reach the town some time after dark, unless they would prefer to find a safe place to camp instead of walking at night. Early the next morning they set off once more. 

However, Celine can sense that something has been tailing them, for the next hour or so she’s able to catch a few glimpses, big, black, and quick. "We're being followed. A large Wolf. And they rarely travel alone.” She whispers.

Hyde looks at her and then at the surrounding trees and hills, hand on his weapon. "Where’s the wolf?"

Celine points rear-ward but when he turns there’s nothing but the empty path. He gives her a weird look. "Seems to have run away? Nothin's there."

"They'll be back. And in greater numbers." She warns, pulling out her shield and readying her hammer.

Eldrin keeps a tight grip on his spell book. "We best be on guard."

"Hmm, there have been great numbers of wolves, and even Worgs, in the forest of late." William says, a bit of fear in his voice.

"Should we run?” Hyde asks and nocks a shot on his shortbow. “We might be able to reach the town before the hounds do. Exhaustion be damned."

Eldrin chuckles a bit. "I doubt it, I imagine they would easily catch up. If they do, you could always fly away."

"You can't though. Save for Blaze back there, but his wing's still busted. Who knows how far he'll make it."

Looking over at his new little friend, Eldrin feels determination swell in his chest. "We'll have to make sure it doesn't come to that then."

Ellebasi stays silent and listened to the others as they talk about wolves and wards and such. She hoped the town wasn't too much further. Based on her examination of the goods the other day nothing was missing. Though she kept an eye on the area for any signs of danger, though her eye sight was bad without her glasses

Blaze picks another of the mushrooms he was chomping on earlier, and looks at it, amazed. "Bruh! This shit is strong!"

"Are you sure you should eat unknown mushrooms like that?” Ellebasi questioned worriedly. “You don't know what may happen. Symptoms range from dizziness to death."

"You sure now's a good time to be tripping?" Hyde asked, the last thing he needed was someone going a-wall in the middle of a fight. But before he could get an answer, a series of howls ring out. Based on the loudness and the time between them, they only have about 2-3 minutes before they reach them.

"Eep! What was that?" Ellebasi jumped and had her cart stop before the pony did anything bad. She looked around to make sure the others heard it too.

Teral draws his sword and William looks around, saying to nobody in particular. "I'm not sure how far away they are... or how many there are."

Hyde quickly draws the string taut and points his bow to where the howls are coming from. Celine grabs his bow and turns it towards the right direction. The howls return, louder this time and from two directions.

"Guys,” Ellebasi’s voice shook with fear as she spoke. “I think we're surrounded. What do We do?"

"We need to clear the way for the wagon. Focus on the ones in front then we can run from the ones behind." With a flap of his wings, Hyde flies up to get a better vantage point with his bow nocked, eyes scanning for the first of the wolves to burst out the treeline.

"Saving this little dude for later, man!" Putting his mushroom back in his rucksack "Maybe we put some of my special friends here in puppy treats and toss to them? Them meaners could use some chill, bruh." He Looks up at the Firbolg. "William, bruh, are these puppies, like, bruhs of yours, bruh?" 

He shakes his head. "These monsters are no friends of mine"

"Well could ya ask them to kindly leave?" Hyde calls from above.

"I doubt they would listen." William reachs over and slap Eldrin on the back and he can feel the magic weave over his skin, causing it to become tough and ridged like tree bark.

"Thanks for that." He says. Soli stands alert while he readies his spells.

Sensing danger, the pony pulling the Halfling’s cart begins to fidget and pull on its reins. Ellebasi hops down and tries to keep her pony under control. "Easy Digby. Easy. It ok boy" She says softly as she strokes his neck.

Blaze grips his stick and slowly starts spinning it, making the accompanying sound effects. 'waaah', 'whiiiiish', 'huwoh', as he prepares to whack with it. "Bruh, puppers, go home, chill!"

Celine stands defiantly at the head of the group with a fierce look in her eyes, ready for battle. 

Without a sound, 7 canine figures bolt out from the woods. They approach the obvious threats, ignoring the easy meal of the horses until after the dangerous targets are dead. Two of the creatures are huge, nearly the size as the horses, their eyes are intelligent and evil and the brown-red stains of old blood covering their mouths and front paws. They must be the Worgs .The rest are the more familiar wolves. 

"Bruh, there are, like, five of them overcharged puppies and two of them are, like, if you crossed a puppy with, like, a demon, and then slapped a brick in their face!" He gesticulates wildly pointing and trying to describe them.

As soon as the beasts’ draw near Celine grabs a Javelin from the cart and launches it at the Worg to her left. It lands in its shoulder but doesn’t seem to slow it down. 

Blaze awkwardly drops off the wagon and, very ungracefully but effective all the same, runs at the injured Worg with his staff, screeching. "CAAAAAH! GO AWAY MEANIE!" 

The Worg smiles as the he approaches. Surely an injured birdling is no threat... an easy mea- THUD! Blaze drops his heavy stick on to its head, followed by a headbutt and finally brings his elbow down on their face. Ungraceful but defiantly effective as the Worg recoils in pain, blood dripping from its snout, not looking good at all.

With a spark of light, Eldrin sends three silvery-white bolts fly up into the air, weave through the branches off to the side of the road and hits a Worg in the eyes and nose. It shakes off the attack and snarls angrily.

Ellebasi watches as the pack surrounds them then spots the one engaged with Blaze, locking eyes with it she shouts. "Go away, mean doggie, go away!" The Worg lets out a squeal of pain as it shakes its head. Wobbling but is still just hanging on.

William moves up to the tree line, humming a few notes he summons a ball of fire and shoots it at the Worg to the right. But he’s quick and manages to swerve out of the way, only singeing its fur. The Worg lets out a yelp of command, drool and blood mixing on the ground beneath him.   
The wolves charge, two of them closing in on Eldrin and the Worg heads for Celine. As it leaps for her neck it instead receives a mouth full of hammer and is flung a few feet away. Eldrin also manages to avoid being bitten as he nimbly dodges the wolves snapping teeth by hopping on to the back of the last wagon.

Hyde looks over to the Worg commanding the pack. “That’s enough of that.” He nocks an arrow and let's it fly, sailing straight through the open mouth of the Worg as it prepares to bark orders at the wolves. It falls to the ground motionless. 

But even without orders the wolf pack moves in, focusing their attack on Blaze. Like a leaf in the wind, he ducks and swerves out of the way as the wolves snap at him. It almost felt like being back with the monks! That is until he feels the sharp teeth of a wolf pierce his side.  
He lets out a squawk of surprise and pain.”That hurts, bruh! You big meanie!” Twirling his staff he smacks and kicks at wolf in an attempt to get free.

Teral jumps down from driver’s seat of the cart and swings his sword at the wolves, but they are too quick for him as the leap back, growling and barking at him. Celine grabs another javelin from behind her and lunges it at a wolf, it sees it coming however and dodges out of the way as it lands in the ground beside it.  
“Shit...” She growls.

Repeating his incantation, Eldrin sends out three more spears of light from his fingers that find their home in the chests' of the three wolves around Blaze. Two of them collapse to the ground, smoke trails up from their now dead bodies, one still standing.

Rummaging around in her cart, Ellebasi grabs a guild ration and calls to the wolf still holding on to Blaze, she waves it above her head and whistles. "Come here boy! Are you hungry? Is that why you are attacking us? I have a treat if you be good!"   
The wolf looks at her somewhat confusedly... Distracted for a moment it sees that most of the pack has fallen. Slowly it lets go of the little bird and runs off back in to the forest. "Wait no stop! I just wanna be your friend!" She sighs and looks at food in her hand dejectedly.

The two wolves leap up the last wagon, one of them just barely missing Eldrin’s leg as its fangs slide off of his now barklike skin, but the other manages to gets a solid bite of his calf and wrenches back, pulling him off the wagon he lands with thud on the ground. Soli is flung from his shoulder on impact and lands a few feet away under the wagon. Seeing this opportunity, the Worg smiles and charges to attack Eldrin.

William holds his staff upright and hums a few notes. The top the staff knots and thickens as sharp thorns shoot out at the end, turning it in to a makeshift mace. He clubs at the Worg as it runs past, smacking it in the back as it charges the now prone Elf.   
The creature is unfazed by the pain and pounces on the wizard, biting down on his shoulder with its huge and powerful jaw. Tearing a scream of pain from the Elf before falling silent, blood pooling where he lay.

Hyde’s stomach twists he watches in horror from above, it is quickly replaced with anger as he unsheathes his rapier and dive bombs for one of the wolves near Eldrin, Shouting. “Get away from him!” The wolf sees him coming and jumps aside, only to leap right in the way of Teral who is quick to react with a swift swing of his blade, ending the wolf.

The Worg, a ferocious pack leader, eagerly licks at the blood from Eldrin's leg wound. Celine charges from behind and raises her weapon. As she does a peal of thunder pierces the chaos and Celine brings down the hammer, snapping the Worg’s spine like a twig.

The party stand for a moment, the only sound being panting breaths and racing heart beats. Ellebasi, relieved to see the battle over, runs to the dying caster and kneels beside him. "Come on friend, don't die on me. You need to be strong." She whispers.

As the words leave her lips, a warm, tingling feeling washes over the Elf. The bleeding slows as his wounds begin to close, his face contorts slightly at the sensation as he regains consciousness. "I... Don't think I'm cut out... For combat." He says with a shaky breath.

William clears his throat. "Hmm, I think we should go, as fast as possible, to the safety of town. Those creatures behaved rather... Strangely."

Hyde bends down to help Eldrin get back up to his feet. He looks to William. "Strangely, how?"

"We are not prey, but were hunted with vigour. Wolves prefer to outnumber their prey, but we were equal in numbers. The Worg... It ignored a significant threat for a chance to try and eat the Elf. All abnormal."

"You mean that is not natural for them here?" Ellebasi says with worry. This was normal across the water but was it normal here too?

"Maybe they are hungry?” Hyde suggests. “Hunger does turn even the most civilized of us into savages for the barest scraps of a meal. No offense Eldrin, you might not even make a mouthful for that Worg."

"None taken." He smiles. "I don't suppose there's been anything strange happening that could cause these animals to go so wild?" He asks William

"We can discuss this later.” Hyde interjects, hoisting the Elf on to the back of the wagon. “Right now we should be running for our lives in the safety of the carriages, let's leave before more show up." He eyes the wolf's corpses warily as he passes by them, trying to look for clues on why they're being rabid mutts.  
The wolves looked hungry for sure, ribs are showing, fur is starting to get patchy, gums are swollen. Weird thing though, their teeth and claws are disproportionately large. The Worg was also hungry, but not as bad as the wolves. Though he wasn’t sure if that was anything abnormal, he had never seen a Worg before.

“All that action gave me the munchies, Cah! Food? Do we eat the puppers, cah?" He pokes one of the dead wolves with his stick. "The gnarly big bad puppies totally not..."

Hyde gives a disgusted look. "Better to not risk it... who knows what parasites they have. Maybe Ellebasi's still got rations to spare?"

The gang all pile into the carts and snap the reins. The horses seem all too happy to be away from the scent of blood and death as they proceed past the wolves. Ellebasi didn’t want to see them dead but it had to be done. 

Once on a steady trajectory, William looks to Eldrin to answer his previous question. "The Worgs are the new variable, the first one appeared last year just before winter and led a pack of wolves into a farmhouse... they killed everyone and all the animals but left the Firbolg corpses behind. More followed after the snows melted... And more carnage."

"They could be our culprit then." He said as he thought. "Strange leaving the Firbolg behind and wasting a potential meal."

Hyde listens to the way he talks, it is apparent he is scared of these beasts. He's a fey forest giant who is also an accomplished druid so his fear is a red flag, if anyone should be chill around all kinds of animals it’s him. He's being honest now, but he's definitely held back things previously.  
"That doesn't make any sense.” He comments. ”Why just the firbolg corpses? Wouldn't they make a better meal size-wise?"

"I once asked a jaguar why predators tend to not eat us. Apparently we taste quite foul." William responds

Blaze tilts his head. "Man, bummer that, I am sure they didn't, like, mean it. You can, like, taste good if you want to, bruh! And whaddabout snakes? Them any good at, like, conversation? WHY DO THEY TASTE SO YUMMY BRUH"

Ellebasi eyes light up. "You can speak to animals? That’s amazing. What sort of animals have you talked to?"

“Birds and squirrels mostly. I've also spoken to two wolf pups, a jaguar and five bears. Most animals ignore us or flee to avoid being hunted." He says

"That is understandable. I don't get why animals and people can't get along." She said with a sigh. 

"Because we are far too bestial to coexist with them." He says matter-of-factly. Ellebasi unhooks her flute and plays a song during the travel. The tune sounded more....sorrowful.

"Most animals... How about the ones that attacked us just now." Hyde asks with slight suspicion.

He meets the Tiefling’s eyes. "Similar to you valley folk, when predators are out for blood... Words rarely stop them." 

Hyde turns away from William, folding his arms and wings around himself like a defensive barrier between them. "Tch, excuses." William sighs and focuses on the path before him.

Blaze cosies up to Eldrin in the wagon. "Bruh, cah! that was, like, brave! And owie. The puppies on you, bruh! And pew pew pew, I dig those blasts, bruh! Here, try chewing this for the pain, bruh. My special stash, dude!" Blaze fishes a couple leaves from his rucksack, hands one to Eldrin and chews on the other.

"That's very kind, thank you." Eldrin smiles, he takes the leaf and puts it in his pocket and ruffles Blaze's feathers a bit in return. Thankful for the little birds company. "You had some pretty good moves yourself." He adds.

"Cah! Ya think? Coo coo thanks, bruh! That's, like, the monks, man, I was so stoked with their moves!” Eldrin nods and listens happily.

The wagons make it to town around 7pm, well after dark but before it is really truly late. Five shadows appear next to the carts, 7-8 ft tall hulking forms brandishing spears, clubs and obsidian axes menacingly. William hums to them and their body language calms down a bit. 

"What are you all doing here?" An 8 ft tall female demands. She is bald, but wears armour carved from black wooden plates; they are decorated with amber carved into cat's eyes.

Hyde raises his hands to show he's unarmed and eyes the weapons pointed at them warily. "We're here for the meeting and negotiations for travel in your forest."

Another Firbolg spits at the ground when Hyde talks, and mutters "..Valley folk..."

"Do you know them?" Ellebasi asks William. "Do you need me to negotiate with them? I'm pretty good at that."

"The Willow is not allowed to speak for outsiders, though his word will keep you out of a cell."

The female Firbolg guard turns her head a little, looking at the Halfling. "Are you the guild merchant?"

"I am indeed the guild merchant." She nods. "Why? Were you expecting me?" She knew they were but pretended to not know. "As you can see I have found friends to travel with in safety"

She lowers her spear. "Please tell me you have my book, I've been waiting for ages to find out what happens to Tigal Rockmender! The last book came out nearly two years ago and I still don't have it. I asked your colleagues to bring it last time they came." She stares with a hint of excitement in her eyes

Ellabasi got a list out of her bag and skims it while muttering. "Tigal Rockmender...” She then set it down and went to the back of her cart to look for it. Clattering could be heard along with a clang. "Ouch." More rummaging later. "Here it is!" She announced while rubbing her head.

Eldrin raises an eyebrow. "Sounds like you've got some interesting items in there."

The Firbolg guard lets out an exhilarated gasp when she takes the book. In return she hands Ellabasi a necklace with a piece of jade carved like a jaguar, about the size of an egg. Which she accepts. "Thank you. Now, you will come with me. The chief wishes to speak to you all." 

"Hmmm are we friends now, sis? Book and all that, Cah? I would like to be bruhs with you, sis! Cah! I like you, like, forest people! I used to watch you from, like, above!"  
He pauses. "Wait, that came out, like, super creepy, Cah!. Hi! I am Eerk click caw or Blaze as the monks called me. Nice to, like, meet you, sis! I used to, like, see you guys go about from, like, above." He moves his wing trying to show off where the bandages were.

"It is a pleasure to meet you Eerk click caw. I am," She whistles a few quick notes. "But you may call me Linda Laurel." 

"Well this is a strange meet and greet but I am glad to help at least." Rubbing her head again to make sure it was ok before returning to the reins of the cart. One thing Ellebasi was good at was making friends and talking. 

She escorts you to a house that is built into a living tree. The tree is as wide as a bus is long and probably some 300 feet tall, but the house is only two stories. There are brightly lit lanterns set on poles in front of a doorway covered only by a blanket. Inside is a large room, empty save for a large piece of canvas nailed to the wall and more lanterns set in the ceiling some 12 feet up.

A Firbolg is facing away from you painting a picture of a waterfall. He has dark purple skin, grey hair and a beard and is wearing a simple green cloak that covers him from neck to floor. Without looking he speaks. 

"You must be from the valley, I suppose the Matrons have sent Teral again... you'd best mind your manners this time or we will throw you out with no memory of this place just as we did before. He and I can see to our business tomorrow.” He turns around and the first thing you notice are his gold eyes, the light reflects off them in such a way that they seem to glow. “Tell me, what brings the rest of you here?" 

Blaze looks around the room before returning his gaze to the Firbolg. "Yeah bruh, I am from the valley and the mountain too! Like, this is my human-like thingy, plus my mountain like folks"

"We were sent to protect and help in any way we can.” Eldrin politely states. “And I can assure you we’ll be on our best behaviour." He gives a reassuring smile.

Ellebasi nods in agreement. "No need to worry. I do not intend to cause trouble, that’s not my type of thing. I personally dislike violence so you won't have any issues from me." She smiles innocently.

Celine crosses her arms. "If there is any trouble, I won't be the one to start it."

"I'm just here for the job, nothing less." Hyde says, eyes darting curiously to the waterfall painting behind the Firbolg.

The chief chuckles and replies. "Such vague answers. I assume you're here because the valley and the forest are dying." He adds a little white to the base of the waterfall. "Each year for the past three years the earth has provided less and less food, even here in the wood." He touches a bit of green to a tree at the top of the waterfall. "I will allow our prisoners, the Valley folk, to leave. And provide you with a map of the area to help your people's exodus. In exchange I ask only that you consider taking a few jobs on behalf of the clan. You would of course be well paid."

"How can we help out? Hope it doesn’t involve violence, I want to avoid that if I can." Ellebasi says, watching him paint intently.

Blaze flaps his wing excitedly. "Happy to help our big magic friends, if they, like, need it, bruh! And you guys killed it with my name, Bruh! Cah!"

Celine narrows her eyes as she takes notice of what he said. "You consider the people of the Valley to be your prisoners? When William mentioned it earlier I thought he was referring to the people of the Valley being the prisoners of the Matrons; which is the case in my experience... What do you really mean?"

Blaze stops and looks at her confused. "Are we prisoners of the matrons, the valley or top criminals? Cah! The three are all cool, but I'd like to, like, know, if I'm the latter!"

"I don't think we're prisoners here. That might just be an expression here" Ellebasi shrugs.

"It is... Not an expression.” The Firbolg puts down his paint brush and shifts his seat to look at the group. “900 years ago a group of 1,000 women and children came through this forest escaping some terrible fate. We do not know what they were fleeing, but in a dream The Wild Mother commanded my ancestor to never allow them or their descendants to leave the Valley. They were guilty of terrible crimes, worthy of death...” He pauses as he looks over the party. “We don't know exactly what, that knowledge is lost to the past. But we decided against genocide at the time. You are their descendants."

The room falls silent for a moment, only broken when Blaze gives a. "...Thanks?"

"You are welcome.” The chief gives him a smile. “I see that decision was a good one. You are wonderful people."

Blaze chirps, quite pleased at being called ‘wonderful’. Celine, on the other hand, is suspicious.

Ellebasi was beginning to have second thoughts of this place. What sort of culture labelled present folk criminals for past crimes? Crimes made by ancestors? She didn't even have ancestors here. Her lineage was back home. Surely they could excuse her right? After all she is working with them. It wouldn't be smart to label your own trader a criminal.

Hyde stares in disbelief at the chief. "Guilty of terrible crimes? Women and children? And you don't even know what those crimes were?" He can feel his temper rising with every word he says to the Firbolg. "What crimes could fleeing children have done that genocide was the only other option to trapping them in there to punish their descendants?"

"You are right to be angry.” His sympathetic tone only adding to Hyde’s anger. “But when I was elevated to the position of Chief I too was visited by the Wild Mother. Goddess of the woods and uncivilized places, she reaffirmed the need to keep the valley contained. It is the word of a god against that of a mortal."

From what Hyde has heard from the few people he’s met who worship her, the wild mother is a lawful but neutral deity of the wild places in the world. She teaches her followers to act kind of like park rangers, maintaining healthy animal populations, preventing forest fires, and protecting ancient groves of sacred plants. Fits these guys to a T.  
"Fat lot of good the word of a Goddess does for the people.” He hissed “The way I see it, it's an empty choice between either genocide through starvation or genocide through bloodshed."

"In my defence, I met with the Matrons 100 years ago to change things; they locked me in a house and set it on fire." He opens his cloak and his body is covered in old burns. "And anyway, I'm trying to do the right thing now aren't I? Before you go yelling anymore like an angry child, remember that I'm trying to HELP YOU."

Celine is conflicted. On one hand, she sees the anger in her colleagues, she feels it too. She descended from the Valley folk, whether she likes it or not. On the other hand, she knows more than anyone the cruelty of the Matrons for what they did to her people, and what they would still do to others. Half the people on this mission were recruited through coercion, and their intent to the people beyond the Valley who would defy them was clear. These people have a right to be scared.

And the poor bard is only collateral damage in this conflict. One look at her you can tell she is very uncomfortable with this. What started as a mere delivery trip turned into a heated conflict about the past. One she has no connection to. "If the Matrons had their way, I'd be dead too.” Celine locks eyes with the chief. “They don't represent me. I'm sure there are many in the Valley who feel the same."

Eldrin listens quietly to all this new information and everyone’s feelings towards it. To be honest, he doesn’t have pleasant feelings towards this revelation either nad his head was spinning with a million questions. But that would have to wait seeing as things are getting a bit too heated for his comfort. He steps forward to face both parties.  
"I think it would be best if this was discussed tomorrow. We're all tired from travel and fighting and aren't in the right mind to take all of... This.” His fists clenched by his side and adds in much quieter tone. "If that's alright with all of you?" 

"Of course, I will have it prepared. On the house.” The chief says, suddenly far too cheerful for Eldrin’s liking, he continues. “As for the jobs I have there are three. I need something stolen, something retrieved from bandits, and some more Worgs killed" He pulls out a bag. "There is currently a bounty on Worgs, I've heard you killed two." He stands up and hands each of them 20 gold pieces each. Hyde huffs, mollified by the cash. "And for our Gold rose guild representative, here is a contract giving you exclusive rights to trade with our clan." He hands Ellebasi a vellum scroll.

The Halfling takes the scroll, concern lining her face. "Those don't sound like very appealing jobs. Anything less...deplorable?"

He pulls out a handful of gemstones, all worth around 300-400 gold pieces. "Perhaps this will persuade you." He picks one up, the light making it glitter and shine between his fingers."One gem for each job completed." 

Ellebasi eyes the gems for a moment. "Well, I mean....I can't refuse but that doesn't mean I have to like doing it. Especially stealing" 

Blaze steps up to the chief. "Bruh! So uncool that they, like, tried to burn you! Cah! They said I was, like, important, and they cleaned me, and you said I was wonderful, then gave me shiny, so, like, I wanna help you both, bruh! We can chill together, bruh!" 

"We'll need a little bit more info on those jobs before we depart,” Hyde remarks after counting the coins and putting them away. “But Eldrin is right, this can be discussed with cooler heads tomorrow." Even if he didn’t like it at least this got him one step closer to getting out of the old crones chores.

The chief had arranged for them to stay at a nearby inn for the night, like all the other houses in the village it was built in to large tree with windows spiralling upwards almost to the top. The rooms were cosy feeling, all of them decorated with colourful ornaments, rugs and canopies over the beds. 

Once Hyde in his quarters he lays out his equipment and goes through the calming motions of familiar prep work needed before heists. Lockpicks? Check, Rapier and Dagger? Sharpened. He grimaces as he opens up a pouch and sees it empty, he sighs and heads out to find some ball bearings and caltrops.

In the room above, Ellebasi sat down on her bed to weigh her options. What could she do? She had her job from the guild but also had to help the Firbolg. But what they asked was unappealing to her. She wasn't a fighter or a thief. There had to be a better solution.  
She jumps a little as her train of thought was interrupted by a light knock on the door of her quarters. "I hope I'm bothering you but may I come in?" Eldrin asks from the other side.

"Oh uh, sure.” She stammers as she collects herself. “Yeah, you can come in."

He opens the door and meekly steps inside. "I um, just want to apologize for getting you mix up in our affairs. Things seem to be getting more and more complicated." He rubs his hands as he talks

"I can see that.” She says tiredly. “I thought this would be a simple guild job but this goes deeper. Hopefully this resolves soon. I don't like affairs and more importantly I don't like taking sides."

"I agree, it's nasty business." He pauses a moment "Although I am glad you’re here, it's very nice having you around."

"You think so?" She said hopefully. "It's rare for me to make actual friends in my business. Clients and customers sure but rarely friends"

Eldrin looks at her surprised "Really? But you’re so nice and your music is just lovely!"

"Aw thank you.” She smiles. “I guess I just haven't taken the effort to actually befriend folks, sure I am likable by many but I just don't get to know them all that well.” She says with a solemn look in her eyes. “And having piles of paperwork doesn't help either." 

"No, I suppose it's doesn't." He chuckles. "But I do hope we can become friends." The two become silent for a moment. "Well, I suppose I'll leave you be. Thanks very much for the chat." He gives a little wave before heading out. 

She gave a nod as he left, feeling a little better.


End file.
